Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "High ego and being religious are not compatible with each other"

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan discussed the topic of "Is Being Religious Associated with Psychological Health" in the program "Door to Reason with Prof. Nevzat Tarhan" broadcast on Dost TV and Dost FM. Talking about the effect of being religious on psychology, Tarhan said that a person who prays will not feel alone. Tarhan expressed that "The essence of prayer and worship is to be able to connect with God," and Tarhan noted that the worthiest of criticism is our own soul, and that high ego and being religious are not compatible with each other.

When our psychological integrity is disrupted, psychological disorders occur

Noting that the psychological integrity of people deteriorates when the region that manages the autonomic nervous system in the human brain begins to deteriorate, President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated "The hypothalamus region in the brain is the region that governs the autonomic nervous system. The part of the brain that tells fight or flight, perceiving and reacting to threats in case of danger. When this area deteriorates in some people, people's sense of control and psychological integrity deteriorates. This is not something that is in the hands of the person, it has a biological counterpart. Just as the physical integrity of our body deteriorates when our arm and leg hurt, psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression and panic attacks occur when our psychological integrity deteriorates."

"Being religious is like holding a fire in the palm of your hand"

Stating that rational intuition is rational intuition, Prof. Tarhan pointed out that rational intuition and rational belief are the paths that lead to the truth. Tarhan expressed that “Rational belief and rational intuition are among the paths that lead a person to the truth. There are three dimensions of being religious. The first is the dimension of believing, that is, the dimension of thinking. The second is the implement, and the third is the dimension of maintaining it. Even when entering an Islamic monastery, decency is written on the door first. Without decency, there is no knowledge. Decency means being able to live the truths that one knows. To be religious, faith and morality must become character and personality of a person. Being religious is like holding a fire in the palm of your hand. You cannot let it go, but you can also endure burning. We are in such a time. At such a time, if people say that it should be easy and it should be the way I want, then they must make concessions for one or other.”

"High ego and being religious are not compatible with each other"

Pointing out that high ego and being religious are incompatible with each other, Tarhan said that "There is a term called Enayet-i Diniyya. People who are like this are very religious. Due to their religiosity, a person is testedfor whatever they are sensitive for. One is being tested for mistakes regarding their religiosity. High ego and religiosity are not compatible. If one has a high ego and is religious, they should question their religiosity. Right now, we come across a lot of examples of religious typologies with high egos in this style."

"It is our soul that deserves criticism the most"

Referring to the three concepts of religiosity, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "There are three different concepts of religiosity: being a scholar, being a wise and being a physician. The person becomes a scholar, one knows very well, you open a subject, you say that there is great information, but you look at it, it is not wise. A person shapes themselves before they shape someone else. It is our ego that is most worthy of criticism. One who does not correct themselves and is not their own leader, cannot be someone else's leader. It is called neuroleadership. A person should be able to manage oneself in the same way that a businessman manages a budget. And then there are perfectionists, they want everyone to be perfect. Religiosity and perfectionism go hand in hand, so much so that they see themselves as perfect, they want to be perfect, and they want to be perfect. It's a secret sucker..." used the expressions.

One needs to have mental flexibility

Stating that people should adapt to social life by preserving their own identity, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "Without abandoning one's religion, one can practice their religion in social life. A person needs to have mental flexibility about it. Instead, depending on the situation, they can aply the basic values of religion such as keeping one's word, not lying, doing good to people, being open, transparent, honest, being accountable… All these are the moral part that is the essence of religion. For a person to have moral principles, there must first be a sense of accountability. There are social norms determined by law and traditions, and there are moral norms determined by conscience. It is the sincerity, values and beliefs of the person that also shape the conscience. Everyone's conscience is different. In such cases, the person must make a decision with some values in his conscience. When making a decision, setting out on a road, doing a job, a person needs to listen to that inner voice. One needs to form their mental jury. If a person cannot do that, they are just moving forward on the path of life to satisfy themselves."

"Believing requires belonging"

Pointing out that it is necessary to know well what we should understand from the concept of faith, Prof. Tarhan said that "It is in the Holy Qur'an, in the verse of the Qur'an, it says ‘O you who believe, do believe.’ Faith is self-living, self-renewing, and dynamic. A person believes, but when one believes, one requires a belonging. There is a creator of this universe, and it will belong to its creator. For example, there are rules in traffic and social life, and you must follow the rules. It is a belonging, a sense of belonging, and a bond. If you believe in God, you need to establish a heart connection with God. People need to be able to be online with the creator. The most common thing in the Qur'an is that ‘Remembering Allah gives peace to the heart.’ A person who believes in God does not feel alone. If you want a friend, Allah is enough, if you want a friend, a sacrifice is enough, if you want nafs, an enemy is enough. In other words, a person who establishes a friendship with Allah feels the same peace whether one is in prison or on the beach."

"One who prays does not feel alone"

Emphasizing that the essence of prayer and worship is to be able to connect with God, Tarhan stated that "No one who prays feels alone. A person says that there is a power, a will that knows everything, answers my questions, knows my needs, sees and understands. There, you become aware of your own weakness and deficiency against the creator of the universe and surrender to Him. It is like trusting the captain when you get on the bus or the pilot when you get on the plane. When you get on the plane, if you trust the pilot, you can travel comfortably, but if you do not, you say, 'I wonder if that person does not know their job? Did they drink alcohol? I wonder if they are sick?' and you will not be able to travel comfortably. This ship of the universe also has a captain. When you surrender to Him, you find the peace He gives. If a person who says they are religious cannot find this peace, they should question their religiosity. When you connect to God, He gives you peace of mind. The word dhikr means to connect. In other words, mentioning God through mind, heart, tongue and intention, to remember Him. When you become aware of it, it gives you great peace, strength and energy in the face of all kinds of difficulties. The essence of prayer and worship is to be able to connect with God."

"Sustainability is very important in religiosity"

Stating that it is understood at the end of his life whether a person is religious or not, Tarhan expressed that "Sustainability is very important in religiosity. Whether a person is religious or not is understood at the end of one’s life. It is like success, no one can say I am successful or unsuccessful. Just as there is total quality in quality, there is total religiosity in religiosity. This becomes evident at the end of life. If a person says that I am religious, I am al-nacat, that person is not guaranteed. We will be between Hawf and Raja, that is, between hope and fear. This lasts until the last breath of life. When a person who says "I am a religious" and carries religiosity like a badge on their chest makes a mistake, that person harms people's representation and sets a bad example."

"Prayer relieves the feeling of loneliness"

Stating that a young person who prays at a time when the test is very strong is like an old-time saint, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan made the following remarks: "Prayer relieves a person's sense of loneliness. There is prayer that is performed with a sense of responsibility, there is prayer that is performed culturally, and there is prayer that is performed by digesting it. At this time, one must be in a state of avoidance of sin and haram for a person to enjoy prayer. At this time, prayers are performed without enjoying the prayer. It is also a good intention for people who cannot do it but at least make that effort to do it. A young person who prays at a time when the test of morality is very strong in the time of pleasure is like an old-time saint. They are young old-time saints who perform the obligatory duties and fulfills their basic religious duties. Therefore, praying protects a person from evil. It creates a protective effect against the possibility of people deviating from the road. If they do this, that prayer is beneficial, but if they do not, if they are not protected from evil, lies, slander, bribery and deceit, that prayer is just a habitual prayer."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)