Was Ayahuasca Used for Political Indoctrination in Brazil?

About this episode

The episode explores the potential use of ayahuasca for political indoctrination among supporters of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil.

In 2023, supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro violently stormed the capital in an attempted coup. Among Bolsonaro’s most loyal supporters were leaders in the União do Vegetal, one of Brazil’s oldest and most popular ayahuasca churches. Brazil’s laws state that electoral propaganda is forbidden inside temples and churches but former União do Vegetal members say they experienced what some called brainwashing while in an altered state. For a transcript of this episode, please visit this link.

Topics covered

• ayahuasca
• political indoctrination
• Brazil
• Jair Bolsonaro
• religion
• coup attempt

Keywords

• ayahuasca
• Brazil
• Jair Bolsonaro
• political indoctrination
• União do Vegetal
• coup
• religion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: União do Vegetal

Places: Brazil

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