Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "The real freedom is the freedom to get rid of the chains of the nafs"

President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan was the guest of the live broadcast of the Ramazan Sevinci (Ramadan Joy) program hosted by Bekir Develi on TRT 1. Emphasizing that believing in a high authority and having a mental shelter has therapeutic value, Tarhan said that the real freedom is the freedom to get rid of the chains of the nafs (self). Tarhan also underlined that ideal happiness is happiness that depends on the inner cause.

"People need spiritual solutions"

Stating that science is a journey, President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan noted that having a mental shelter has a therapeutic value.

Talking about the history of psychiatric diseases, Tarhan expressed that "From manic depressive, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia to depression, they have been around for as long as humanity has existed. As neuroscience found their counterparts in the brain, definitions emerged. People always have a sense of emptiness. There is always a need. This was filled by belief systems, some elders, and Sufi learnings. There were monks, people obeyed them and were comfortable. There is a gap like this. Something will fill it. This is being filled with science. There are so many areas where science is not enough! Science does not mean the point of existence. Science is a journey. Currently, there is a third generation of psychotherapies. With those therapies, science has shown that it is actually therapeutic value for a person to believe in a high meaning, to believe in a high power, to believe in a high authority, and to have a mental shelter. People need spiritual solutions.”

"The real freedom is the freedom to be freed from the chains of the nafs"

Stating that ideal happiness should depend on internal reasons, not external reasons, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "Even in the worst circumstances, a person can manage to be happy and peaceful. Despite everything, one is able to be satisfied. This is referred to as authentic happiness in psychology. You can manage to be happy even in prison, and you can achieve the same happiness even in the palace. Like plants that bloom in all seasons. Happiness is ever-present. In the definition of happiness, there is happiness that modernism teaches us as 'let me be happy, let me be happy with this'. Happiness due to this external cause. However, ideal happiness is happiness due to internal cause. It is the ability to be happy with one's own inner world references. And this is the real freedom. The real freedom is not to break chains, break down walls, release desires, live however you like. The real freedom is to be free from your desires and impulses. A man who is a slave to their own self is not free. Is a person who falls into pleasure traps and uses drugs free? Think about all types of addictions, from digital addiction to digital addiction. They are all bondage, captivity, enslavement. Therefore, the real freedom is the freedom to be freed from the chains of the nafs.”

"Artificial intelligence is seen as a new god..."

Pointing out that modernism has changed the philosophy of life, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "100-200 years ago, people believed in absolute power, or absolute will in any belief system. In other words, there was a belief in a holy spirit, a higher power, in Christians regarding the existence of a life after death. With the achievements brought by technology, people have now started to see themselves as gods of the earth. At the moment, the new god is seen as artificial intelligence, and global capital is seriously planning and projecting it. The metaverse is not a simple project. Modernism has changed our philosophy of life and our purpose in life. Our previous purpose in life was to meet Allah and to have His blessing. People were following their nafs, but in the end, a lot of people could regret it. Now it is said that everything is happening in this world. They do not see the need to think about death and the afterlife."

"Let's use technology for good, right and beautiful purposes"

Stating that artificial intelligence will benefit when used correctly, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "If artificial intelligence is used well, it will be very useful in the treatment and diagnosis of many diseases. The technology itself is neutral. Therefore, it is necessary to use it for good, right and beautiful purpose, instead of opposing technology. The biggest force right now is big data. If we use big data, we will tell the truth."

"Before, man was in need of one thing, but now one needs twenty things..."

Drawing attention to why people are unhappy in this age, Prof. Tarhan stated that the reason for people's life has changed. Tarhan said that "First, people have taken the pursuit of pleasure as their purpose in life. Second, the level of expectation has risen. Before, man was in need of one thing, but now one needs twenty things. Another feature of this century is that it has increased the level of stress. In other centuries, someone living in the forest would see a lion once or twice a year; however, now we are in constant tension as if we see lions in traffic every day. There is a constant fast-paced life. We seek pleasure. A person has a willingness to live fast. This increases the stress level. The level of expectation has risen. Living standards have risen. In other words, the capital system encourages happiness by consuming."

"When we talk about self-transcendence, we mean connecting with God"

Mentioning that emotions have been within the range of science since the 2000s, Prof. Tarhan said; "There is a study by Kahneman, who received the Nobel Prize in the 2000s. He said, 'Man is not homoeconomicus, he is homopsychological.' People invest more in things they love and attach high importance to. He said he doesn't invest based on basic needs. That's why there was a paradigm shift globally after the 2000s. That is, emotions have come within the range of science. Self-transcendence, that is, self-transcendence, has entered the range of science. At the top of Maslow's Pyramid of Needs is the goal of self-actualization. On top of that, Maslow set another goal: self-transcendence. Before Maslow's death, he said, ‘Man's supreme need for social needs in this world is not self-actualization, but self-transcendence.’ When we talk about self-transcendence, we mean connecting with God. To do something for society, for existence, for the creator..."

"In this age, the greatest miracle is the direction"

Stating that one of the most important skills in the development of psychological resilience is the ability to postpone gratification, Prof. Tarhan said that "There are psychological resilience trainings. One of those trainings is the ability to postpone gratification. One learns to say no to one's own self. This is the skill of procrastination. This does not exist in other living things, only in humans. Whether or not to acquire this skill is left to the free will of man. It is up to them which way to use it. One of the most important skills in the development of psychological resilience is the ability to delay gratification and postpone pleasure. The second is the strength of endurance. Persistence and fortitude... Taqwa is translated as fear of God. The word piety has dozens of meanings. Its most important meaning is to persevere in the truth. In this age, the greatest miracle is direction. It is to stay in the direction. Here, if a person can persevere in the truth, one can reach their goal better. The righteous also teach perseverance, and the fasting of Ramadan teaches people to do so. There is a certain truth. That's why you say I must put up with it. Patience here is active patience. There is a goal, you are trying to gain Divine Consent. You are sacrificing some things to achieve this higher goal. The most difficult thing is to control one's urge to eat. A person who controls the urge to eat also manages money, manages their life, and manages their emotions."

"The important thing is to be on the road..."

Stating that fasting gives people many skills, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "We gain the ability to stay calm under stress. We stress ourselves out. For example, we stress our stomach, bone marrow, and system. It is shocking. That's why they are starting to repair themselves in the meantime, autophagy kicks in, and self-repairs. One begins to consume unnecessary substances. That is, it causes renewal. This has also been done in plants. They put the plants that did not bloom for a long time in a dark place, and when three days passed, the plant would say, 'Oh, I am dying' and start to bloom immediately. Ramadan fasting is like that. It gives people a hunger, the purpose here is to resurrect them. The important thing is to spread it throughout the year. It is fasting not only with our stomach, but also with all our organs. It is not easy to achieve this; however, the important thing is to be on the road."

"The language of the state is more effective than the language of words"

Reminding that parents should use the method of persuasion and persuasion instead of preaching to children, Tarhan said that "Just set an example. Let’s not give lectures, and let’s not preach. It passes over their head. Instead of pressure, intimidation, and threats, we will approach children with the method of making them love, believe and persuade. The method of persuasion and endearment is the method of this age. Please, let's not transform piety as fear. Let's make it as right, righteousness, perseverance. Young people are pushing their parents, testing them, driving them crazy. They look at how they react. If the parents persevere in the truth, the child also finds the right line. It is very important to set an example for young people. The language of the state is more effective than the language of speech because it settles in the developing souls of children and life scenarios. In later ages, the child revises those life scenarios according to their own life."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)