The Miração

Hubble (Photo Credit: NASA)

“Miração” is a term that was introduced by Master Irineu in the Santo Daime tradition to describe the visionary states made possible by the sacrament. The Portuguese verb mirar means to look at or to contemplate. From this verb the word mirante  is derived, which means “a viewpoint – a high isolated place from where an ample landscape can be seen”. The word miração links contemplation with action, mira + ação (to look at + action). It appears evident that the word was created during shamanic ecstasy by Mestre Irineu, who recognized the journey of the self within the visionary experience. The miração contains both the state of contemplation and the state of action. The individual needs discernment to distinguish the visionary experience from imagination, mental games or projections.

(Reference for definition of Miração: Alex Polari de Alverga, Might the Gods be Alkaloids)