Whirling Dervishes: The Practice of Spiritual Meditation

Recently, I've taken a great interest in Turkish culture. To the point where every time I bring up anything to do with Turkey and it's culture, my exchange sister laughs because well-- sometimes I can talk about it a lil too much.

Anywho, a prominent part of Turkish culture is this mystical and mysterious practice called sufi whirling. Here's a video:

Any foreigner witnessing this practice might think: "What in the world are these men doing? Are they crazy? Aren't they getting dizzy?"
Just experiencing a one on one spiritual moment with God. So yes, maybe crazy depending on where your religious viewpoints lie.

These men are Whirling Dervishes of the Sufi sect of Islam, they call themselves the Mevlevi Order. Sufi Muslims are those who practice the inner mystical dimension of Islam. They devote themselves to becoming closer to God and embrace His presence in life. They do this by practicing various forms of dhikr (which is what the Mevlevi Order is considered), muraqaba, and making visitations to many historical and spiritual places. These men can not only be found in Turkey, but in many different places in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Syria, etc.

To participate in this kind of dhikr, you probably need to have a strong stomach, something I'm definitely not cut out for. Not only that, but you also must have a strong devotion to Allah and probably have a devoted interest in Sufism. To begin the practice, men wear a white frock with

 a black cape over it, as well as long felt caps with a turban underneath. A sheikh sits in the corner and as the practice begins, each man takes his black cape off and greets the sheikh, then he begins to begin the spiritual ritual by spinning in a 360 degree circle on his left foot.

This leads me to wonder how exactly this kind of ritual might bring one closer to God. Is it the trance that it brings to you when you are in the middle of it? Or might it be testing yourself to your limits? The practice is referred to as Sama- or physical meditation. Meditation gives us a heaping amount of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. It enables us to think clearly, de-stress ourselves, and our happiness and creativity increases.

Whirling Dervishes are a powerful practice that shape the culture of mystical Islam and Sufism. It is a dynamic and energetic ritual that brings a strong presence of Allah to those who practice it.