SANTO DAIME

   A movement that began in Brazil and spread in various organizations to many other countries during the 1990s. Creatively fusing indigenous Amazonian, African (especially Umbanda), Christian, Spiritism (especially Kardecism), and other inspirations, it makes use of the vision- and vomit-inducing help of ayahuasca and similar plants (understood to be shamanic otherthanhuman persons themselves) to combat such illnesses as alcoholism, cancer, and hepatitis. Like William Burroughs, Daimistas (practitioners) also value the help of ayahuasca in combating drug addictions and mental disturbances.