During the Sama ceremony, the Mevlevi performs a spiritual dance in order to achieve meditation and contemplation. According to the textbook, “The Mevlevi place a strong emphasis on music, which sends the practitioner’s physical body into a slow dance of graceful and ecstatic turning” (Pg 129). The dance consists of the performer entering the space slowly with their arms crossed and their hands on shoulders to represent the oneness of God. After the spinning dance begins, the performer reaches out their right palm towards heaven to receive God’s blessings and turns their left palm downwards to transfer that power onto Earth. This dance is primarily accompanied by the soothing sound of the flute. In the video of the Mevlevi performing the “whirling dervish” dance, many instruments are being played such as the flute, kettle drum, and cymbal. It creates a sense of peacefulness during the dance. The music and dance within the Sama ceremony are significant to the Sufi tradition of Islam since it allows the performer to surrender their identity to God.

Music and dance can play a vital role in creating a spiritual connection with God. Similar to the Mevlevi, Buddhist monks chant ancient texts to achieve meditation. This allows them to reach enlightenment and an awareness of the divine. The main purpose of creating this kind of music is to “memorize and meditate upon Buddha’s teachings, to center their minds, and to sublimate improper desire” (Pg 113). As the monks are singing, they produce two tones at the same time, also known as harmonic singing. This type of chanting requires steady breathing and a lot of focus. Likewise, in the Sama ceremony, the Mevlevi was solely focused on the rhythm and dance. Both the Sama ceremony and the chanting of the Buddhist monks are important for creating a spiritual connection with their God.