Sema is a term that means remembering in Arabic and Persian. It is used to refer to some of the ceremonies used by various sufi orders and often involves prayer, song, dance and other ritualistic activities.

Sema dancing is known to Europeans as Whirling dervish dance, see the external link.

In the Mevlevi sufi tradition sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect." Turning towards the truth, his growth through love, desert his ego, find the truth and arrive to the "Perfect," then he return from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation, to all creatures without discrimination of believes, races, classes and nations.

It inpired Dances of Universal Peace.

External link