[1] The UDV seeks to promote peace and to "work for the evolution of the human being in the sense of his or her spiritual development", as is written in its bylaws.
This beverage is made by boiling two plants, mariri (Banisteriopsis caapi) and chacrona (Psychotria viridis), both of which are native to the Amazon rainforest.
In Brazil, the use of Hoasca in religious rituals was regulated by the Brazilian federal government's National Drug Policy Council on January 25, 2010.
U.S. Customs agents seized a shipment and raided a UDV member's office, finding over 30 gallons of Hoasca tea in 1999.
A study of UDV members by psychiatrist Charles Grob of the UCLA School of Medicine found them to be psychologically and physically healthier than average, and he has recommended ayahuasca as a treatment for depression.