Music forms both parts of the Sema ceremony, the Taksim and Pesrev. The effect the music has is to help the listener feel like they have a direct spiritual connection with God. This is accomplished by their instrumental music that takes place during the Taksim and the strictly measured chants that take place during the Pesrev. The most well known part of the Mevlevi tradition is the “Whirling Dervishes” a dance that they perform that helps them feel spiritually connected with their God.

Amazing Grace has some similarities in what it accomplishes. The hymn does have several different versions, making it not as strict as the chants of the Mevlevi, but it always contains the same lyrics. The hymn’s goal is to help the listeners connect to God more closely and ask for salvation.

The music of the Sema ceremony and Amazing Grace both have different messages and themes, but their goal is the same. They both serve to connect the listeners more spiritually to God. The Mevlevi accomplish that through dance and specific scripture, while Amazing Grace can be tailored to the listeners to help them more intimately feel related to God.