The following story is collected from my friend. She lived in Turkey for the most part of her life. Now she lives in the U.S.A. She talks about a mystical experience she had. This interview is done face-to-face. “A” refers to me, the collector. And “B” refers to the participant.

A: “Is there any interesting story you can tell me?”

B: “Last year, when I was walking around at the Beverly Center, a woman, with her daughter, approached to me and asked me if I have any problems in my life right now. At first, I thought she was crazy. But then she started talking about how the negative energy in my life affects my love life and academic life. Then she offered me to go to downstairs, so she can tell me more about my life. I thought she was a con artist, because she asked for money. But then she told me that, in her religion, there is usually no such things as dark magic, but she informed me that I am under the influence of a dark magic spelled by a woman, and that is the reason why everything in my life was unstable. She told me she can help me with it, but after she asked for more money, I just could not decide, and left her.”

A: “Did she tell you anything specific that is real?”

B: “She told me that, if there is something going well in my life, it will only lasts for a couple of days, like 10 to 15 days, but after that, everything just turns around and then it starts to go bad. She was right about this, my life is exactly how she explained it to me. Whenever a good thing happens, it does not last for too long.”

A: “Do you think she had mystical powers?”

B: “Yes I think she had some, but I don’t think everything she told me was true because of her mystical powers. If this is her job, I am sure she became good at understanding people quickly.”

I think it is interesting to see old traditions, like fortune telling, can be seen in very modern and urban places like Beverly Hills.