UFO sightings are claimed to be as commonplace as shooting stars, especially near Alto Parso. Insights from outer space Egon and his wife, Inti-Ra, founded the Arcadia organization in Alto Parso based on insights they claim to have channeled from extraterrestrial beings. They said their spiritual guides led them to the central plain to promote sustainable societies and space-age healings. Like many New Age groups, Arcadia believes the world as we know it will end soon. The new religions may have an otherworldly veneer, but they are firmly Brazilian in their incorporation of other traditions and their social role.
Most devotees are poor and often illiterate.
Homeless people, alcoholics and outcasts end up knocking on the doors of these groups. Residents are required to abstain from alcohol, and women in Eclectic City must wear long skirts and long hair. Utopia-building is a common theme among the new religions. Most eschew hierarchies in favor of an egalitarian structure. They advocate individual self-discovery, a communal vision and an alternative way of life.