摘要：This is a study about an Umbanda center in Rio de Janeiro, where a union with the Santo Daime religion takes place. This Umbanda center presents some peculiar characteristics, which, in a way, prove the common point of view about Umbanda as a syncretic, flexible and inclusive religious system. On the other hand, it reflects the world vision of an intellectualized middle-class group of people from Rio de Janeiro. The objective of this study consisted in investigating the meaning of non-conventional religious practices presented in Umbanda and Santo Daime's religious centers. The results point out that the search for these symbolic religious practices in most cases is directly related to the search for self-knowledge through alternative therapeutic practices.
