God Comes Into View: Court OK's Hallucinogenic Tea
Judge says Oregon church group can legally drink hoasca tea during services.
March 27, 2009— -- Psychedelic drugs aren't just for the trippy '60s anymore.
After years of legal limbo, a federal judge has ruled that an Oregon church can look for God in a glass of hallucinogenic tea, saying the Church of the Holy Light of the Queen, of Ashland, is protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Followers of this Brazilian-based Christian church say that drinking the tea, known as hoasca (pronounced wa-SA-ca), increases their religious experience. The thick brew is made by scraping the bark of tropical vines. Believers make the sign of the cross before taking a sip.
"It is hallucinogenic, and they drink it only in the context of these religious ceremonies," said Alison Dundes Renteln, professor of political science and anthropology at the University of Southern California.
Believers say the tea enables them to talk to God and to see visions.
"Taking [the tea] was the first time that I actually understood and had a connection with God," National Geographic magazine reporter Kira Salak said.
Salak, author of "The White Mary," sent "Good Morning America" a video diary of her encountering the tea in the Amazon.
"I cough violently and watch as demons burst out of me, roaring, only to disintegrate in white light," she reported in the video. "And before me, this enormous image of God."
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