A comparison of religiosity among experienced ayahuasca users (over 20 years of ritual use), beginners (less than 3 years), and non-users at a Santo Daime center in Piedade, SP, found that experienced users scored higher on religiosity than both beginners and non-users. The observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study included 48 participants: 16 experienced users, 16 beginners, and 16 controls matched by sex, age, and education. Religiosity was measured using the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS-P). Statistical analysis used parametric tests (p<0.05), indicating higher religiosity scores in the experienced group.
This article examines two conceptual strategies in Cristina Rocha's book on John of God: theoretical appliqué, which uses an eclectic set of concepts to generate partial interpretations without a unified theory, and comparative contextualization, which places the movement within its religious landscape. The author argues that while the book could have pushed both strategies further, theoretical appliqué is valuable for respecting complexity and indicating multiple interpretive pathways. The article aims to highlight the merits of theoretical appliqué and suggest how it can be done effectively.