How long do dervishes whirl

Over the years they have become an intrinsic part of important rituals of almost all the religions of the world. Medical science has yet to uncover the physiological mechanisms of these trance states and use them for therapeutic purposes. Strange whirling rituals performed by Turkish dervishes are one of the most interesting self-induced trance rituals that deserve special attention. The Order was based on teaching forgiveness, tolerance, and enlightenment.

The members survive today as a cultural brotherhood. Although the whirling ritual, called sema, may appear at first glance like a theatrical performance, they actually represent a sacred Muslim religious ritual performed as a part of praying.

Mevlevi believed that during this trance the soul is released from it earthly ties and is able to freely continue its journey. It reflects the ability of the person to be a bridge between two worlds, the materialistic world on the one hand and the spiritual heavenly world on the other. The spiritual meaning of the dance represents a very important and complicated religious field, which is outside our theme: to focus on the physical and physiological aspect of the ritual.

At the start of the initial four movements of the ceremony, the semazen bow to each other. What religion are the whirling dervishes? Can girls do Sufi dance? What do the Sufis believe? Do dervishes get dizzy? Are there still whirling dervishes? What do you know about Sufi whirling? Do Sufi dancers get dizzy? Which direction do whirling dervishes spin? Where do whirling dervishes live? What is Sufi zikr? Where do whirling dervishes come from?

Do Sufis pray five times a day? How do you spin like a dervish? Start with your arms crossed over your chest. What is a dervish person? Who started Sufism? What is the difference between Sufism and Islam?

What are the 4 parts of the Whirling Dervish sema ceremony? This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. I have never experienced anything like it: I felt my spirit soaring toward heaven, yet at the same time, I felt completely grounded because my feet were constantly in contact with the floor.

I was in such a wonderful place that I was able to move my head or arms in whatever manner pleased me, with no adverse effects. The music ended all too quickly! If you're looking for a similar experience, why not give this Arabella, the author of this article, has contributed many informative pieces to this web site on a variety of topics, including:.

Please visit Arabella's home page on this web site for a full list of articles she has contributed. Arabella began her dance studies with Russian Ballet classes. Frustrated by ballet's impossible ideals, and curious about more ethnic dance disciplines, she moved on to study various other dance forms. Arabella, based in Toronto, Canada, is also a certified Mastercraftsman in crewel embroidery, with a special passion for metal thread and ethnic embroidery.

Currently she particularly focuses on Palestinian and East Indian embroidery. Material from this web site may not be posted on any other web site unless permission is first obtained from Shira. Academic papers for school purposes may use information from this site only if the paper properly identifies the original article on Shira.

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