When discussing Sufism in Islamic tradition today in class, I thought the comparison of Sufism to Daoism in the Chinese tradition was especially helpful in understanding this mystical wing of the religion. I had always thought that Sufism was a third branch of Islam, so it was interesting to learn that this is not really the case because the tradition overlaps with the other two branches. It was also interesting to note that Sufism was at the forefront of the spread of Islam and it can be found in various different areas. Prior to this class, I had never heard of whirling dervish in the tradition of Sufism and I enjoyed seeing the video of those involved with this practice. I was very impressed that they were able to do this routine and watching the video gave me a sense of the imagery of spinning, rotating, and turning and helped me connect it to this similar imagery found in the poetry of Rumi. I also thought that thinking about the question of why we spin, such as getting a view of everything around us, broadening our vision and perception, for fun, loss of control, feeling dizzy, feeling connected to the spinning of the world, and feeling lighter. These answers also provided insight into what mystics from around the world have sought out and emphasized, which is trying to find ways to broaden our perspective and make us aware the reality is broader and deeper than just what we are experiencing.