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Transubstantiation In a Christian ritual called Holy Communion, ordinary bread and wine are purportedly converted into the flesh and blood of Jesus. This supposed conversion, which is thought to be a miraculous act of God, is called transubstantiation. After the conversion, the newly-created flesh and blood of Jesus is eaten by the worshipers. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and certain other Christian groups officially affirm that the transformation actually does take place.
To most people, the bread and wine still look and taste the same after the purported conversion into flesh and blood. One possible explanation is that the conversion doesn't take place until after the bread and wine are swallowed. But most modern Christians doubt that the conversion really occurs at all.
Dervishes Dervishes are members of certain Islamic religious orders who seek mystical experiences through activities such as dancing, chanting, and meditation. The best-known groups are the whirling dervishes and the howling dervishes, but there are also groups that meditate, chant verses from the Quran, or perform controlled breathing exercises. They are found in many countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Many of them take vows of poverty and have very austere lifestyles.
Dervishes perform hypnotically repetitive activities such as dancing as a way to induce a state of ecstasy and feelings of communion with God. Group performances, which are usually accompanied by music, can last for hours. The famous whirling dervishes begin their performance by sitting in a circle and reciting poems. Then they slowly rise and begin moving across the floor, spinning rhythmically. As they rise, they shed their outer black robes, which are a sign of death, to reveal their pure white dancing robes, which are designed to flare outward as they spin. They continue to
