Forest of Visions : Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Part biography, part document of spiritual wisdom, Forest of Visions is a fascinating story that satisfies on many levels. Author Alex Polari de Alverga spent years as a political prisoner during military rule in Brazil. Here he recounts his spiritual transformation after release under the tutelage of Padrinho Sebastião Mota de Mela, one of the founders of the Santo Daime religion. Forest of Visions is also a study of the inner workings of the Santo Daime utopian community of 500 in the heart of the Amazonian rainforest. The Santo Daime is a Christian-indigenous syncretic religion that centers around the drinking of a sacramental psychedelic tea called Ayahuasca as a shortcut to spiritual revelation and growth. After years of study, the Brazilian government decided that Ayahuasca positively benefited society and church members, and declared it legal. Approximately 50 Santo Daime churches now exist around the world, including in the U.S., Japan, and Holland, with various legal statures. The forward by Stephen Larsen, author of The Shaman's Doorway, and the preface by Jonathan Goldman provide an informative transition from our world to the realm of this mysterious and unique Amazonian cult. --P. Randall Cohan
Charlie Tilt, Talking Leaves, Summer/Fall 1999
. . . moving and often poetic writing. The book is a saga and a memoir... giving us insight into the spiritual path...
Forest of Visions : Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition
Forest of Visions: Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition,Alex Polari de Alverga,Park Street Press,089281716X,Alternate Spirituality,Alverga, Alex Polari de,Ayahuasca,Cults,Hallucinogenic drugs and relig,Hallucinogenic drugs and religious experience,Religion,Religious Cults,Santo Daime (Cult),Spirituality - Shamanism,Alternative belief systems,Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / Shamanism,Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness
New Used Books:
Recommended Books