"Lugar de outro mundo" : o reencantamento do mundo e as narrativas ufológicas em Alto Paraíso

Abstract

The research proposes a historical and sociological analysis of the esoteric and UFO beliefs related to the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás. For this, we developed the analysis of multiple narratives that spread throughout the city, in order to realize their integration in imagination conceived as a way of reenchantment of the world in the postmodernity. First, it sought to understand how the city received its first settlements until the attraction of mystical or esoteric groups thus called. This esoteric movement is closely related to several prophecies about the Planalto Central, from the interpretations of the Don Bosco’s dreams, the Italian priest. Secondly, we tried to guess Alto Paraíso as a post-modern refuge, taking it as a suitable site to understand more of the central changes of postmodernity: the reenchantment of the world perceived through the cultural expressions; the emergence of community life and the formation of postmodern tribes; the flowering of new forms of religiosity; and cultural hybridity from the encounter between native cultures and alternatives. The reenchantment of the world, a postmodern reaction to the Weber's disenchantment of world, it is designed this study based on the relationship between science, religion and nature. It is marked by the emergence of ancient knowledge and changing paradigms of science, at a time marked by a rediscovery of nature. Arise in this context a tendency to integration of science with other knowledge once marginalized. There are new forms of belief and new religiosity, which appropriated the singularity and history of the Chapada dos Veadeiros nature. In the third and last place in all these beliefs, of UFO character were discussed based on the analysis of the narratives in the region, such as murals, monuments, statues, poems, anecdotes, oral and written reports.