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 Altar used in UDV ceremonies, with a photograph of founderMestre Gabriel | |
| Formation | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Type | Christian spiritist religion |
| Headquarters | Brasília,Brazil |
Official language | Portuguese |
Mestre | José Gabriel da Costa |
| Website | https://udv.org.br/ |
The Beneficent Spiritist Center Union of the Tea (Portuguese:Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal[ˈsẽtɾwisˈpiɾitɐbenefiˈsẽtʃuniˈɐ̃wduveʒeˈtaw]; orUDV) is a religious society founded on July 22, 1961 inPorto Velho (Rondônia) by José Gabriel da Costa, known asMestre Gabriel.[1] The UDV seeks to promote peace and to "work for the evolution of the human being in the sense of his or her spiritual development", as is written in its bylaws. The institution today has over 24,000 members, distributed among more than 240 local chapters located in all the states ofBrazil, as well as in Bolivia,Peru,Australia, several countries inEurope, Canada and theUnited States. One translation ofUnião do Vegetal can beUnion of the Tea referring to the sacrament of the UDV, Hoasca tea, also known as "vegetal" in the UDV andAyahuasca in other traditions. The nameUnião do Vegetal can also be understood to refer to the union of the people who receive the communion of the vegetal in the UDV. Hoasca tea is made by boiling two plants in water,mariri (Banisteriopsis caapi) andchacrona (Psychotria viridis), both of which are native to theAmazon rainforest.
In its sessions, UDV members drink Hoasca tea for the effect of mental concentration. In Brazil, the use of Hoasca in religious rituals was regulated by the Brazilian federal government's National Drug Policy Council on January 25, 2010. The policy established legal and ethical norms for the religious institutions that responsibly use this tea. The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously affirmed the UDV's right to use Hoasca tea in its religious sessions in the United States, in a decision published on February 21, 2006.
Hoasca tea made fromBanisteriopsis caapi andPsychotria viridis (the only two ingredients used in the UDV's preparation of Hoasca) was shipped to the American membership from Brazil.U.S. Customs agents seized a shipment and raided a UDV member's office, finding over 30 gallons of Hoasca tea in 1999. The UDV sued in 2000, seeking exemption from the Controlled Substances Act and equal treatment under the law.
In 2001, the 10th Circuit Court of New Mexico granted a preliminary injunction preventing the government from interfering with UDV's religious use of Hoasca. The government appealed and the appeals court stayed the injunction of the lower court. In December 2004, theSupreme Court lifted a stay thereby allowing the church to use Hoasca tea in their sessions. The Supreme Court heardoral arguments for the case on November 1, 2005.
On February 21, 2006, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the case. The court ruled, unanimously, that the lower courts had not erred in holding that the federal government had failed to prove the "compelling interest" in barring UDV use of Hoasca required under theReligious Freedom Restoration Act.Chief JusticeJohn Roberts wrote the opinion in the case, in the second opinion he authored as a member of the Court.[2][3]
One of the active compounds of Hoasca isDMT,[4] which is produced by the human body and in many plants. DMT is classified in the United States as aSchedule I drug. Plants, animals, and humans containing DMT are not.[citation needed] NeitherBanisteriopsis caapi norPsychotria viridis are listed in any schedule of the Controlled Substances Act.
A study of UDV members by psychiatristCharles Grob of theUCLA School of Medicine found them to be psychologically and physically healthier than average, and he has recommended ayahuasca as a treatment for depression.[5]
Ayahuasca is as complex as both chemistry and psychopharmacology can get. There's a uniquely vast array of botanical sources, and an infinite amount of preparation methods, usually involving psychoactive compounds that we're only beginning to comprehend scientifically, such as DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. The UDV prepares Hoasca tea using only the two plants Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis.