Santo Daime in Ireland: A ‘Work’ in Process
Journal of the British Association for the Study of Religion December 2, 2014 Gillian Watt 6 citations
Santo Daime, a new religious movement originating in Brazil, has expanded globally and emerged in Ireland during the 21st century. In 2007, a leader of an Irish Santo Daime group was charged with unlawful possession of DMT, contained in the sacramental drink ayahuasca, under the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1977; the case is under appeal on grounds of religious freedom under the Irish Constitution. The paper argues that experiences of Santo Daime in Ireland reflect conflicting responses to new religious spaces in a post-colonial nation with a history of Catholic cultural and social hegemony.