The Círculo de Regeneração e Fé (CRF) was the first syncretic ayahuasca organization in Brazil, founded by Raimundo Irineu Serra, an Afro-Brazilian rubber tapper and military officer, along with the brothers Antônio and André Costa, in the state of Acre around 1916. Influenced by indigenous traditions from the tri-border region between Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, Mestre Irineu structured the CRF with esoteric and military inspirations, creating a doctrine that blended ayahuasca, spiritualism, and Christianity.
CRF meetings involved ayahuasca consumption, mediumistic practices, and a hierarchy based on military ranks, with members communicating with spiritual entities. The organization faced police persecution and operated clandestinely until it was dissolved around 1925.
Irineu’s experience in the CRF was fundamental to the formation of Santo Daime, which he officially founded in 1930 after a spiritual revelation of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception), whom he called Rainha da Floresta (Queen of the Forest). The Santo Daime doctrine solidified as a ritualistic system featuring sacred hymns, uniforms inspired by the CRF, and esoteric practices.
The Influence of the Círculo Esotérico da Comunhão do Pensamento (CECP)
Mestre Irineu was influenced by the Círculo Esotérico da Comunhão do Pensamento (CECP), an esoteric order founded in 1909, incorporating its mentalist and ecumenical philosophy into Santo Daime. The CECP’s motto, “Hei de Vencer” (“I Shall Overcome”), remains present in many Santo Daime temples.
The Tattwa Luz Divina, a center affiliated with the CECP and created by Irineu, operated until the late 1960s, when the CECP rejected the association with ayahuasca use. This led Irineu to establish the Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal (CICLU) in 1971, formally institutionalizing Santo Daime as an independent doctrine.
Expansion and Schisms
After Mestre Irineu’s death, Santo Daime experienced divisions, with disciples forming new branches, such as:
• Cefluris (ICEFLU), founded by Sebastião Mota de Melo, who expanded Santo Daime globally and incorporated spiritist and Eastern influences.
• A Barquinha, founded by Daniel Pereira de Mattos, which combined Santo Daime with Catholic and esoteric practices.
• União do Vegetal (UDV), founded by José Gabriel da Costa, which developed a more philosophical and initiatory approach to ayahuasca use.
