Episode 103

Written By Michaela Carlin
 
 
 
 

How can ayahuasca and other sacred plant medicines deepen family bonds and foster collective healing within communities?

In this episode, Glauber Assis, a Brazilian sociologist and leader in the Santo Daime tradition, shares his experiences using psychedelics to support personal transformation, parenting, and cultural preservation. He explores the role of sacred plant medicines in nurturing resilience and healing, emphasizing the importance of honoring indigenous wisdom in modern psychedelic practices.

Glauber and Michaela discuss creating inclusive, family-centered spaces for psychedelic work, the significance of cultural respect, and how psychedelics can serve as powerful tools for personal and collective growth. The conversation also highlights the challenges and rewards of integrating plant medicines into family life and community healing.

Dr. Glauber Loures de Assis is a researcher of sacred plants and their traditions and a psychedelic dad. He has a Ph.D in sociology from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). He is the author of numerous articles and book chapters and the co-editor of the book ‘Women and Psychedelics: Uncovering Invisible Voices’. Glauber is the founder and president of Céu da Divina Estrela, a legal and tax-exempt Santo Daime ayahuasca church in Brazil.

He has 15 years of experience with ayahuasca and other sacred plants and has led more than 500 ceremonies in Brazil, Europe and the United States, and has built this practice in dialogue with his local Brazilian ayahuasca community and with the blessings of Indigenous elders and activists in Brazil. He is also the co-founder of Jornadas de Kura, a plant medicine center in Brazil that promotes an alliance between the ceremonial use of sacred plants, public education on plant medicine and psychedelic science.

He is an Indigenous rights activist and the Director of the Psychedelic Parenthood Community. He is father to 3 children and lives with his wife Jacqueline Rodrigues in Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Episode Highlights

  • Glauber’s journey from conservative upbringing to psychedelic exploration

  • Ayahuasca, family, and community in Brazil’s Santo Daime tradition

  • Discussing psychedelic parenting and family integration in ceremonies

  • The role of set and setting in psychedelic experiences and indigenous perspectives

  • The diversity of ayahuasca traditions and the feminine energy in its mythology

  • Coexistence among indigenous traditions and the collective element of healing

  • Serving ayahuasca in ceremonies and the inclusion of children and pregnant women

  • Ayahuasca ceremonies during childbirth and the sacred role of midwives in Santo Daime

  • The amazing story of Glauber’s daughter birth 

  • Psychedelics as a tool for cultural healing and the importance of commitment

  • Breaking down patriarchal norms through fatherhood and psychedelic integration

  • Men’s role in caregiving and the healing power of vulnerability

  • Santo Daime churches in the U.S. and the legal landscape for ayahuasca

  • Growth of ayahuasca practices in Hawaii and issues of cultural appropriation

  • How to find safe and ethical ayahuasca ceremonies in the West

  • The importance of community and lineage in choosing facilitators

  • Co-editing ‘Women and Psychedelics’ to uncover invisible voices in the space

  • Addressing climate change and systemic issues through psychedelic wisdom

  • The importance of joy and resilience in psychedelic work

Glauber Assis’ Links 

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

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Special thanks to Jeremy Colbert (Taragápe) for the original podcast theme music.

You can find out more about Jeremey’s work here:
taragape.com and @taragape

Michaela Carlin
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