Ece Gürel's instructor states she was 'receiving training in the craft of witchcraft': Reason for going to the forest revealed

Landscape architect Ece Gürel, 36, has passed away in the hospital. The veil of mystery surrounding Gürel's death has yet to be lifted.

Following the passing of Ece Gürel, various spiritual details have become a subject of discussion. Ece Gürel's instructor spoke to Türker Akıncı.

Hale Özen, who stated that Gürel began the training in September, provided information about the details of the program.

Here are Hale Özen's statements regarding the training;

“SHE WAS RECEIVING TRAINING IN THE CRAFT OF WITCHCRAFT”

Hale Önel explained the training Ece Gürel was receiving with the following words: “People have said all sorts of things about Witchcraft training. The name of Witchcraft training is the craft of witchcraft. That is its name. The goal is to research and develop what people of that era did, and to practice meditation. Yet, the witches of the Middle Ages were the doctors, architects, chemists, and biologists of their day. Our goal there is not to perform alchemy or to change anything. Witchcraft is more focused on personal matters. Our training records are also available. Ece had just started that training anyway. She began the training in September. We provide training online twice a week.”

WITCHCRAFT TRAINING CONTROVERSY

Önel stated, “Witchcraft training includes affirmations, meditations, and understanding the elements. There are breathing exercises related to air, and exercises for moving the body related to fire. Our first rule in our Witchcraft disciplines is that the home, the body, and life must be clean and orderly. In the final stage, we want our students to end their procrastination habits, take responsibility for the mistakes they make, and master the mindset that ‘everything can be fixed, solutions are endless, and I should not give up on struggling.’ Those who come to us for training leave saying, ‘There is nothing spiritual about it.’”

“SHE WAS ACTING RATIONALLY”

Emphasizing that Ece Gürel's passing caused great sadness for them and her friends, Hale Önel stressed that while Ece Gürel had an interest in spiritualism, this interest did not lead her to act irrationally. On the other hand, while emphasizing that the training they provide is based on positive thinking, Önel stated that the claims circulating on social media do not reflect reality.

“SHE IS NOT A PERSON WHO COULD BUDGET FOR AYAHUASCA”

Responding to claims that Ece Gürel had a tendency toward rituals or spiritual sessions and that she went to the Belgrade Forest for this reason, Hale Önel said, “No. I have also listened to what is being said. Ayahuasca became very fashionable years ago. Everyone was asking each other about it. The price of a cup was 1,500 dollars at that time. They say she went on a retreat. Retreat rooms are also built for very high figures. Ece and her husband did not have that kind of financial power. Ece is not even a person who could budget for this. She wouldn't pay that much money for it either. She is a fasting, religious girl. The idea of ‘let me get high, let me use something different’ is not something that suits Ece at all. It is something Ece would never choose.”

“WHAT THEY CALL SCREAM THERAPY IS VOCAL MEDITATION”

Answering the question about claims that Ece Gürel was practicing scream therapy, Hale Önel said, “What she calls scream therapy is harmonic sounds, vocal meditation. Another name for this is transcendental meditation. You close your eyes and calm down with the ‘Om’ sound. Or you close your eyes and stay still while making the ‘aaa’ sound. There is no screaming or anything like that.”

“I AM IN SHOCK ABOUT WHERE THE SUBJECT HAS GONE”

Hale Önel reacted to the claims on social media that contain conspiracy theories, saying, “I am in shock right now about where this subject has gone. The purpose of meditation is to clear the mind a little. Not to think about the rent, not to think about the payments… To rest the mind a little. If something that is constantly working takes a break, it starts to work more efficiently afterward. That is the purpose of meditation.”

“IF SHE HAD BEEN PERFORMING A RITUAL, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD MATERIALS WITH HER”

Hale Önel said, “When we meditate, we play relaxing music on the side. If she had been meditating, Ece's mobile phone would have been outside at that moment, not in her bag. I watched the video. The phone was in her bag. People are saying, ‘She went to perform a ritual, she did dark deeds,’ and so on. For those things, you need to have items with you. Ece has nothing to do with the things they are talking about. She would need to have materials with her. Let's say she performed a prosperity ritual for herself. Our mothers do that too. What do we do for prosperity… We roast allspice and salt in a pan on the stove for prosperity.”