History of spiritism in Turkey

The «Turkish Society for Metapsychic Research and Scientific Research», founded by Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, began to serve humanity in 1950. Dr. Bedri Ruhselman opened a new path in the understanding of spiritism with his enlightened steps.

The scope of the service and mission of Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, who came to earth under divine assistance and protection to gather and make available to humanity the information to explain the laws of the universe, which humanity has needed for centuries and which is essential for spiritual progress.

Brief life story of Dr. Bedri Ruhselman

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, a pioneer of Turkish spiritism, was born in 1898 on the shores of the Fındıklı district of Istanbul, and has been serving the country's metapsychic science with the same simplicity for 50 years. Ruhselman's family tree goes back to the Shapsığ branch of the Circassians living in the Caucasus. His father was a lieutenant colonel in the navy, Lieutenant Colonel Cemal Efendi, and his mother was Mrs Safiye, daughter of Commander Hüsnü Efendi, commander of the Kastamonu fortress. Ruhselman came from a military family. The family lived in Fındıklı in Istanbul until he finished primary school. He attended primary school at the Şemsi Efendi School. He spent the early years of his childhood in the Fındıklı district of Istanbul, and in 1902 Ruhselman completed his primary and secondary education in Çanakkale Rüştiyya due to his father's move to Çanakkale. His musical talent was already recognisable at an early age. At the age of ten he started taking violin lessons due to his interest in music. In addition to his musical talent, Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, who had been very interested in metapsychic subjects since he was a child, experienced an important event at the age of 12 that was to be a turning point for him. With a paperback book published by the Gayret bookshop, he embarked on a journey of spiritism communication experiences. At the age of 15, in the presence of his father and a few friends, he had his first experience of spiritism. According to his own account, he was told that a war would break out during this séance. In fact, the First World War broke out in 1914. For this reason, his family sent Ruhselman to Istanbul on a submarine. There he continued his studies at the Kabataş High School.

Ruhselman continued to receive violin lessons during his education. Mr. Braun, a violin master in Istanbul, said that his pupil was very promising and recommended that some princes take lessons from Ruhselman.

After graduating from Kabataş High School in 1916, Ruhselman began studying medicine. His family had also come to Istanbul. At that time, he came across a book that said martyrs would go to heaven.

The young Ruhselman was so impressed by this book that he decided to take part in the Gallipoli War and immediately went to the recruiting office to enlist. However, after a clairvoyant advised him to give up the idea of going to heaven when he died - on the contrary, it was more important for him to continue his education - he regretted his decision, but it was too late.

To find a solution with his uncle, a captain, they went to the Meserret café in Sirkeci, where officers came and went. They started discussing what to do. An officer sitting at a neighbouring table overheard the conversation. He turned to the two and asked them what had happened and they told him what had happened. The officer turned to young Ruhselman and said: ‘My son, it is an honour to die for your country. In war you die once, but an educated man lives and serves his country every day. Complete your education and thus serve your country’. He wrote something on the card he took out of his pocket, gave it to a person from the ministry and asked to be de-registered. Uncle and nephew were surprised when they read the name on the card. On the card was the following name: Miralay Mustafa Kemal.

This event had deeply affected the young Ruhselman. His interest and love for art and music were growing day by day. Saim Ali Bey, his professor of forensic medicine, was especially supportive of his musical successes. His love of music led him to leave medical school in the fourth year and study at the Prague Conservatory.

In 1920 he was in Prague. As a result of his musical studies in Prague, with the help of his forensic medicine teacher Saim Ali Bey and under the patronage of an Egyptian princess living in Istanbul, he graduated from the conservatory and successfully passed the examinations of the new virtuoso school of the teachers' college and became a violin virtuoso. While studying music in Prague, he received his first insights from a person who was very interested in spiritism. With the advantage of knowing French, German and a little English, he began his metapsychic investigations. He analysed serious works of the pioneers of classical spiritism such as Allan Kardec, Gustave Geley, Charles Richet and Léon Denis from world literature. And he got to know hypnosis through applications.

It was in the first years after the proclamation of the Republic. Due to the deteriorating financial situation of the princess who supported him financially, he had to return to Istanbul before he could sit for the final exams of the School of Virtuoso Teachers. Between 1926 and 1935, he worked as a music teacher in several Anatolian cities. He also re-enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine, from which he had not graduated. In 1934, the audience at the Izmir Male Teachers' College was interested in a balloon that had escaped from a child's hand and not in the music that was being played at the time, causing Ruhselman to leave the concert unfinished and leave the hall. He put his violin in the top compartment of his locker and decided not to give any more concerts. He focused more on his education in spiritism and medicine. After graduating in medicine, he received specialised training from Professor Frank and became a specialist in internal medicine. He opens a practice in Izmir. Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, who summarised theoretical spiritism very well, starts applied research. In 1936, he received his first high spiritual realisations through the mediumship of the famous musicologist Hüseyin Saadettin Arel.

The disembodied being, who presented himself by the name of «Master», imparted very high knowledge at these séances. This information led to the birth of modern spiritism. These séances lasted 11 years.

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman worked for a while at the Bakırköy Mental Hospital and conducted examinations. After he started working as a doctor, his articles were published in a magazine called Fener. This ‘monthly magazine that talks about high knowledge and art’ started to appear in March 1938 and was discontinued after six issues in August 1938 due to financial problems.

In 1940-41, Dr. Ruhselman did his military service as a doctor with the rank of captain in the reserves. After his military service, he continued his studies on spiritism. In the meantime, Afghanistan requested a doctor from Turkey. Dr. Bedri Ruhselman travelled to Afghanistan with several doctors in March 1943. Among the doctors was Dr. Sevil Akay, one of the first Turkish spiritisms.

Dr. Ruhselman worked for three years as chief physician at the Rıfkı Sanatorium in Kabul. At some point he tried to go to India, but was unsuccessful. He continued his experimental studies and completed his three-volume work entitled Ruh ve Kainat (The Soul and the Cosmos) during these three years. In 1946, Dr. Bedri Ruhselman returned to Turkey and published his work, which would usher in a new era for Turkish spiritism. Calling his publications Neo-Spiritism (New Spiritism), he broadened the horizons and aims of classical Spiritism and founded a new school in the metapsychic field.

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman had systematised the principles of Neo-spiritualism by reconsidering cosmogonic and ontological foundations such as the unity of the Creator, the unity of beings, the existence of the laws of the divine will and the necessity of applying these laws, the infinite applications, the infinite universes and the existence of intelligent life in the universes, the existence of the soul, rebirth, reformation, evolution, renunciation, sacrifice, love, compassion, mercy and tolerance.

The «New School of Spiritualism» in Turkey had laid its foundations with the three-volume work ‘The Soul and the Cosmos’, basic and simple information on fundamental topics such as man, the soul, life after death, evolution, consciousness, destiny, rebirth, etc. for every person who wanted to learn about spirituality, questioned human life-universe-existence. This work is the first scientific and serious publication in the field of metapsychology in Turkey.

In 1947, Ruhselman, who worked as a doctor in Smyrna, founded a study group and established spiritual contacts. There was another study group in Istanbul with which he also maintained contact. Dr. Bedri Ruhselman was not able to maintain his practice for a long time. Due to unjust incidents that were not in keeping with his noble character, his sense of responsibility as a physician and his Hippocratic oath prompted him to abandon the practice of medicine.

Dr. Ruhselman now wished to devote more time to information studies in connection with the «New School of spiritism», of which he was the founder. He therefore looked for a paid position. He began working as a doctor on the passenger ship Ankara, which sailed the Mediterranean on the Marseilles line. This gave him time for intensive information studies. 1947-1954 were the most productive years of the «New School of Spiritism».

The most intensive sessions took place during this time. The sessions resumed after a break of 10-12 years and continued with the sessions of the beings called «Kadri», «Mustafa Molla» and ended with the sessions of «Şihap», «Akın» and «Kemal Yolcusu». Dr. Bedri Ruhselman clarified various aspects of the reality represented by the «New School of Spiritism».

Ruhselman devoted himself to spiritual research and gave a series of lectures on spiritism at the universities of Ankara and Istanbul in 1948. In 1949 he published his research book «Among the Spirits», which consisted largely of his studies of spiritism séances.

Foundation of the Association for Metapsychic Research and Scientific Investigation

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman set himself the goal of founding an association to bring the people of his country closer to the knowledge of spirituality, to raise the level of people's awareness and understanding, to answer the questions of what is the purpose of the living being, where does man come from, where is man going, and to better explain the reality of the hereafter, the understanding of duty and the reality of the hereafter.

He knew very well how important it was for the man to be involved within the framework of a given objective in order to realise it. A formal association would unite the dispersed members of the research group around a central goal. He had realised early on that groups that imbued the commitment that had bound them together over the centuries with a sense of duty were more successful in achieving the goal and serving society. And at last he found the opportunity to realise this great ideal. He and his missionary colleagues renovated a very simple and ramshackle flat they had rented in Billurcu Çıkmazı, Sıraselviler, Taksim, and started to use it as an association.

Officially founded the Turkish Society of Metapsychic Studies and Scientific Research (the word «society» later became «association») on 30 March 1950. The founders: President Dr. Bedri Ruhselman, board members: Dr. Sevil Akay, lawyer Suat Plevne, Muammer Bayurgil and Nurettin Özmen. Ruhselman held this position until 1957.

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman published his book «Allah» in 1951, which clarified the difference between the «New Spiritualist School» and other classical spiritism schools. At the same time, Dr. Ruhselman also wrote articles for the magazine İç Varlık, which was published in Ankara.

During this time, Dr. Ruhselman also published a newsletter in response to strong demand from Anatolia. With this newsletter he disseminated both information and answers to questions on the subject from various parts of the country. From this work soon emerged the magazine Ruh ve Kainat.

During this period, the Association for Metapsychic Research and Scientific Research was also accepted into the International Spiritism Federation.

In the same year, the International Congress of Spiritism was held in Stockholm. At this congress, Dr. Ruhselman presented a 61-page report entitled «The scientific explanation of mediumship and the interviews and interactions of spirits with the people of our world from the perspective of “neo-spiritism”». Thus, the Turkish flag was placed next to the flags of the 15 nations participating in the congress.

Dr. Bedri Ruhselman's report was distributed to various spiritism centres around the world and caused a sensation. Hitchcock, president of the International Spiritism Federation in London, wrote a letter full of admiration and praise. This report was published in Turkish under the title ‘Medyomluk’ (Mediumship).

In 1952, Dr. Bedri Ruhselman published a magazine with the title of his work in three volumes in order to make spiritual knowledge accessible to a wider public: The magazine RUH VE KAINAT (Spirit and Cain). Ruhselman and his friends, who continued their work under very difficult conditions, were unable to solve some financial problems despite all their efforts. As their work in the spiritual field was more intense than in the material field, they often had financial difficulties. Due to financial difficulties, the magazine was only able to publish 18 issues.

Dr. Ruhselman, who never for a moment abandoned his efforts and desire to serve humanity, published his work «Mukadderat ve İcabat» (Fate and Necessity) in 1953. Dr. Ruhselman's work and leadership during this period resembles the organisational behaviour of an idealistic person, a being who knew, understood and practised the truth in his worldly body and cognition.

About the unification with MTİA

We quote from the article written by Ruhselman for the Metapsychic Society in issue 6 of Ruh ve Kainat (March 1953):

On 1.4.1950 a society called the Turkish Society for Metapsychic Research and Scientific Research was founded in Istanbul. Such an organisation, which exists all over the world and especially in all civilised countries where scientific life has developed and which paves the way for scientific studies in its field, has unfortunately not yet been founded in our country. And this, of course, has been a great shortcoming and a mistake in the name of our country's tradition. However, the growing number of research movements in these fields in all parts of our country, especially in recent times, clearly showed that the time had come to establish such a scientific centre in our country as well. Moreover, as a result of scientific studies through mediums, we received very valuable messages from the higher spiritual worlds, which were the expression of great science and great truth, and which were such that the whole world, together with our country, should benefit from the results of this spiritual knowledge, which had begun to spread throughout the world. This is a worldwide scientific issue.

Today, this subject, which is mainly dealt with in Anglo-Saxon and Latin countries, is far behind the scientific stages that we have rapidly left behind. It is natural for any country that loves and seeks truth and science to benefit from this situation. It is these thoughts and the duties that science and truth impose on us that have mobilised and compelled us to found and publish this society and then this journal.

The world is in search of a new reality. This reality shines in a realm where heart and mind, reason and wisdom go hand in hand on the basis of faith. In our age, when material gluttony and greed for blood and life are taking over everything, we feel that the denialist materialistic vision, the product of a narrow vision, is on the verge of bankruptcy. That materialism which for centuries has sown in the world only material greed, only the smell of blood, only death and poverty... That materialism which has reduced to nothingness what is most precious to people, has destroyed their most precious assets and has made them deny their souls, which are their noble values. Today's world is in search of the high and luminous reality that brings together its self, its noble being, its soul. For material greed has exhausted the world, the smell of blood has repulsed it, the pain of the suggestion of poverty has spiritually alienated it from the denying materialistic reality. This is a truth. But the way to explain and prove this truth is only one way, and that is the way of knowledge and information, which is bright, enlightened and not subject to ambition. Everything is bright only in the light of knowledge, and the door to every truth opens only with the firm and sure keys of knowledge, which is free from being the plaything of royal and ambitious hands.

These thoughts are the mother of the ideas which have guided the founders of the Turkish Metapsychic Society. Those who tolerate them and believe them to be true do not hesitate to participate in movements to develop these great truths with their body, soul, time, authority and identity, material and spiritual means and wisdom. For these movements pursue the reality that the world seeks, wants and longs for. May God be a great helper to every runner who wants to accelerate this path.

Bedri Ruhselman's last great mission

The study of spiritual knowledge now took on a new intensity. For this reason, Dr. Bedri Ruhselman left the Society for Metapsychic Studies and Scientific Research on 5 March 1957. He handed over the task to his young friends. He had full confidence that the organised service and the outreach staff would fulfil their task. Dr. Ruhselman suffered a heart attack in June 1958 and was treated in Genoa for two months.

He left his job as a ship's doctor. After his return to Turkey, he was supposed to lead an orderly life, but instead he continued his work at a very fast pace. The house in which he carried out these intense studies was very modest. A small living room, an adjoining room and a small kitchen. In his own room there was only a wardrobe and a movable bed. The living room was full of books. The most striking thing about the living room was that on the right-hand side, where he was sitting, there was a shelf full of books made up of stacked sugar bowls.

On the part of the table facing the ceiling, there was a white cloth stretched out, the ends of which were fastened to the wall with ropes. As the coal and wood cookers burned together, the table and he himself were stained with some coal and wood soot. For this reason, he had made an umbrella out of a small white sheet stretched over it and sat under it.

Objectively, it must be realised that in the new developments which the Higher Administrative Plans will create on Earth, only the highest officials ‘above the surface’ can participate in making the surface (the field) sowable for the germination of knowledge. And they devote their entire lives to the work of preparing the soil where the seed is first sown to make knowledge flourish. When it is necessary to bring about a great change in the progress of humanity or to initiate a new age, they quietly occupy a corner of the world determined beforehand. And they continue their activity of ‘bringing knowledge to Earth’, to which they have devoted their whole lives, and leave us as quietly as they came, unnoticed. To fulfil this last task properly, Dr. Ruhselman entrusted it to his young friends and retired to his home in Harbiye in 1957. Ruhselman began his great task, which was one of the main reasons for his incarnation on Earth, in September 1958.

Big task

In September 1958, after the «Torch» sessions, intensive work begins under the direction of «a guiding being who is an extension of the Higher Plans» who introduces himself as «Önder» (Leader).

This work continues and expands until August 1959. It is the study of knowledge in the highest realisation that all knowledge imparted up to that day has reached. While carrying out his assigned task of synthesising and compiling this great synthesis of knowledge, Ruhselman worked 20 hours a day for 3-4 months and slept only 4 hours.

As a man on a mission, the real purpose of Dr. Bedri Ruhselman's coming into the world was this knowledge, which constituted his work in the last year of his life. Regarding the information he gathered, he said: «This is never my work, it is the work of the “Superior”. But there is another reality that must not be overlooked. In order for Planet Earth to reach its final destination, its final synthesis, there had to be a Bedri Ruhselman who received this ‘Universal Knowledge».

He was a key functionary of the spiritual plan. And he fulfilled his mission perfectly. Dr. Ruhselman spent his last six months reading English and listening to music. He awaited his death, which was announced to him from the other world. And in February 1960, he left the body he had used for his great mission in this world.