Balancing Discretion and Expansion in the União do Vegetal
UF Journal of Undergraduate Research November 4, 2020 Jake H Ference 1 citation
The União do Vegetal (UDV), an ayahuasca-based religion, operates with notable discretion, shaped by its history of legal prosecution and hesitant religious acceptance rather than by its beliefs or practices. Through literary analysis of research papers, studies of group secrecy, and interviews with members, this project finds that the UDV's use of discretion is a legitimate response to legal and social pressures. While secrecy is not integral to the group, discretion plays an important role in member interactions with outsiders. The UDV's expansion also suggests an overlap with New Age spiritualties.