Paranormal Health Beliefs in Travel Motivation and Experiences: The Case of Gırnavaz Jinn

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the travel motivations and experiences of paranormal health tourists. In the study, the Gırnavaz Mound in Mardin/Türkiye, where the tomb of the leader of the first Muslim jinn is located, was analyzed. The data were collected with semi‐structured interviews conducted with 15 visitors and 2 religious officials. Four main themes and six subthemes were identified during the manual content analysis process. The main themes were named “Paranormal Story: Healing Jinn,” “Motivation for Paranormal Health Tourism,” “Paranormal Health Tourism Experiences,” and “Sense of Healing: Placebo.” Findings reveal that paranormal health tourists are motivated by feelings of helplessness and belief. Their experiences are shaped by ritual participation and shared emotional exchanges with others. The peak experience—encountering a jinn leader in a dream—can be disrupted by environmental factors. Those who reach the peak experience feel a sense of healing that can be attributed to the placebo.