Set and Setting in the Santo Daime
This observational review (2021) describes ayahuasca use within the set and setting in the Santo Daime church and outlines complex layers of intentions, expectations, visual, auditory, and symbolic environments, social and cultural systems that form a rich tapestry of contextual factors that foster unique experiences. While also describing how the Santo Daime setting can also go wrong, it highlights the role of contextual factors to mitigate harms and facilitate social and personal benefits.
Abstract
Introduction
Set and setting is a fundamental concept in the field of psychedelic drug research, which points to the profound dependence of psychedelic effects on psychological, social, and cultural factors. Santo Daime is a Brazilian religion that makes elaborate use of ordering principles, techniques, and symbology to shape and direct the effects of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca.Methods/Results: This paper systematically explores the tapestry of, inter alia, symbolic, social, cultural, psychological, aesthetic and musical elements that participate in the shaping of the psychedelic experience in the context of the Santo Daime ayahuasca religion.
Discussion
The methodically rich under the hood description of the mechanics of entheogenic initiation within the Santo Daime tradition provides a template for future studies of the role of context in psychedelic experimentation.
Research Summary of 'Set and Setting in the Santo Daime'
Introduction
Recent years have seen renewed scientific and popular interest in psychedelics, with much attention paid to clinical potential but also to spiritual, creative and communal uses. A recurring theme across this literature is the importance of extra‑pharmacological factors—commonly condensed into the phrase "set and setting"—which encompass psychological, social and cultural determinants of drug response. Hartogsohn notes that, despite increasing attention, prior work has lacked a richly detailed, systematic account of the many sensory, symbolic and institutional elements that orchestrate psychedelic experiences in practice. This paper sets out to fill that gap by examining how the Santo Daime (SD) ayahuasca religion organises an elaborate, repeatedly enacted set and setting. Focusing on the ICEFLU/ Sebastião line of SD, Hartogsohn aims to map the symbolic, social, musical, aesthetic, kinetic and ritual practices that shape the "SD experience," to show how these elements interact, and to highlight characteristic tensions and challenges that arise within this highly formalised ritual milieu. The study presents the SD case as a template for analysing contextual mediation of psychedelic effects more broadly.
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Hartogsohn, I. (2021). Set and Setting in the Santo Daime. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.651037
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Ramaekers, J. G., Mallaroni, P., Kloft, L. et al. · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2023)
Lewis, B. R., Byrne, K., Hendrick, J. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2023)
Turkia, M. · Psyarxiv (2023)
van Elk, M., Yaden, D. B. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2022)
Pontual, A. A. D. D., Tófoli, L. F., Corradi-Webster, C. M. et al. · Frontiers in Psychology (2022)
Schwarz-Plaschg, C. · European Journal of Futures Research (2022)
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