The Spiritual Experience of Sufi Whirling Dervishes: Rising Above the Separation and Duality of This World. (September 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- The Spiritual Experience of Sufi Whirling Dervishes: Rising Above the Separation and Duality of This World. (September 2021)
- Main Title:
- The Spiritual Experience of Sufi Whirling Dervishes: Rising Above the Separation and Duality of This World
- Authors:
- Harel, Keren
Czamanski-Cohen, Johanna
Turjeman, Nataly - Abstract:
- Highlights: Sufi whirling is an Islamic Sufi spiritual ritual of self-pivoting. The Sufi whirling embodied experience has been minimally studied. Sufi whirling may increase body–mind focus, self-regulation, positive affect. Clients expressing through free whirling may benefit from these qualities. Muslim Sufi clients may benefit from integrating Sufi whirling practices in therapy. Abstract: Sufi whirling, which has been minimally studied to date, is an Islamic Sufi spiritual ritual of self-pivoting performed by spiritual seekers known as dervishes. This study empirically evaluates the inner subjective experience of Sufi whirling dervishes (SWDs) to benefit understanding of the experience of clients expressing through free whirling and the cultural competence of dance movement therapists and psychotherapists working with Muslim Sufi clients. The study participants ( N = 44) were adults from the Israeli SWD community. They participated in a Sufi whirling ritual and then wrote their deepest feelings and thoughts to capture their authentic and living experience. Using expressive writing in a hermeneutic phenomenology analytic approach, the "inner experience of the SWD" theme was identified with subthemes of "the Sufi vortex, " "preparations for transitioning, " and "quietness in the center of the vortex." Participants reported that the Sufi vortex drew them into a present, nonjudgmental body–mind state, sweeping them to submit and surrender until they rose above the separationHighlights: Sufi whirling is an Islamic Sufi spiritual ritual of self-pivoting. The Sufi whirling embodied experience has been minimally studied. Sufi whirling may increase body–mind focus, self-regulation, positive affect. Clients expressing through free whirling may benefit from these qualities. Muslim Sufi clients may benefit from integrating Sufi whirling practices in therapy. Abstract: Sufi whirling, which has been minimally studied to date, is an Islamic Sufi spiritual ritual of self-pivoting performed by spiritual seekers known as dervishes. This study empirically evaluates the inner subjective experience of Sufi whirling dervishes (SWDs) to benefit understanding of the experience of clients expressing through free whirling and the cultural competence of dance movement therapists and psychotherapists working with Muslim Sufi clients. The study participants ( N = 44) were adults from the Israeli SWD community. They participated in a Sufi whirling ritual and then wrote their deepest feelings and thoughts to capture their authentic and living experience. Using expressive writing in a hermeneutic phenomenology analytic approach, the "inner experience of the SWD" theme was identified with subthemes of "the Sufi vortex, " "preparations for transitioning, " and "quietness in the center of the vortex." Participants reported that the Sufi vortex drew them into a present, nonjudgmental body–mind state, sweeping them to submit and surrender until they rose above the separation and duality of this world into a unity and wholeness experience. Sufi whirling may increase body–mind focus, self-regulation, positive-affect, unity, and wholeness experience. Clients who express through whirling during therapy may benefit from these qualities. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Arts in psychotherapy. Volume 75(2021)
- Journal:
- Arts in psychotherapy
- Issue:
- Volume 75(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 75, Issue 2021 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 75
- Issue:
- 2021
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0075-2021-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2021-09
- Subjects:
- Sufi whirling dervish -- dance movement therapy -- spiritual -- mystical -- qualitative -- psychotherapy
Art therapy -- Periodicals
Dance therapy -- Periodicals
Music therapy -- Periodicals
Poetry -- Therapeutic use -- Periodicals
616.891656 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01974556 ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/833/description#description ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.aip.2021.101831 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0197-4556
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 1736.825000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 18513.xml