Experts warn against 'spiritual abuse' following the death of Ece Gürel

Questions surrounding the death of Ece Gürel, who was found alive four days after going missing but could not be saved, remain unanswered.

Following claims that Gürel had been attending a course called "Witchcraft Craft," questions regarding spiritualism have come to the fore.

Hürriyet columnist Fulya Soybaş, in her column today where she wrote about spiritualism and raised the question, "What was Ece Gürel doing alone in the Belgrade Forest?", included the views of Holistic Life Coach Aysun Akçalı.

Aysun Akçalı stated the following regarding the matter:

"Yoga and meditation do not just mean posing on your head. Sound therapy does not necessarily mean screaming. Unfortunately, in recent years, meditation, yoga, and retreats—which are increasing in popularity day by day—have become conflated with mystical philosophies and concepts like astrology, numerology, and energy, which exist in the Far East as well as in these ancient lands of Anatolia, such as the practice of 'kurşun dökme' (lead pouring). Almost everyone is an expert in all these teachings.

In this modern age, the religion-science conflict has been replaced by a superstition-science conflict. This is because people are now moving further away from finding their life's purpose while searching for solutions to their worldly problems. This is also the reason for the emergence of 'New Age' next-generation cults and 'fake' therapists and experts. And more importantly, this business has turned into a trade.

Yet, meditation is a person's return to their essence. For this, there is no need to go to the forest, to shout, or to perform rituals. Meditation—it can even be done while sitting—is about closing your eyes, calming the mind, and distancing yourself from the value judgments imposed by society. Why did Ece Gürel go to the forest? I cannot know. But returning to nature is not a bad thing. Because in our urbanized lives, our connection with our essence has been severed. We cannot hear our own inner voice.

Yet, in nature, there is a bright blue sky, the sounds of birds, and the scents of flowers. For example, I go for nature walks to get away from my worldly problems and the noise of the city, and to find answers to the questions in my mind with a calm mind. Proper breathing is also important. Good breathing calms you down and enables you to make the right decisions. All of these methods are good tools and can certainly be used. However, only as long as you do not harm your body and mind.

Any teaching that reaches or is pushed to extremes, and of which you become a slave, will harm you. This is exactly what we are overlooking. Returning to one's essence, using one's intellect, asking questions, questioning, and being a good person without lies or deceit is what matters. There is no need for an intermediary; all the answers you are looking for are already within you.”