Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “What governs the conscience is a person’s intention”

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan was a guest on the program “Misafirimiz Var” with Reyhan Sevinç on Diyanet Radio. Commenting on the topic “Spiritual Counseling and Its Importance,” Tarhan emphasized that a person should live without forgetting that they have a purpose. He stated that, by nature, human beings are in a search for meaning and that the belief in the unity of God (tawhid) is the most rational form of faith. He also underlined that a person’s intention is what governs their conscience.

“I try to live by reflecting on the meaning of existence”

Stating that a person should live with the awareness of having a purpose, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “As Rumi stated, we are not living in this world, and we are passing through it. Life continues to flow in some way. In our age, life is much faster and more different than in past centuries. The concepts of day and night have become blurred. In the past, people would live in their villages, continue their father’s occupation, marry the girl next door, and go to bed early when the electricity went out. Now, day and night are mixed. Life moves quickly. People’s expectations have increased, and so has their level of stress. In such a time, people have become materialistic, secular, and self-centered. This is reflected in daily life, and as psychiatrists, we encounter more and more cases related to these issues. This trend also gives us insight into where the world is heading. Personally, I try to live by reflecting on the meaning of existence. If a person questions their existence and lives without forgetting the purpose of life — and if they have a solid spiritual belief system and a strong set of values, then they try to spend their day meaningfully, either within the standards of the current age or by creating a new tradition suited to the needs of the time. There are things we can change and others we cannot. In situations beyond our control, we at least try to correct them with our words, if not with our actions. As the poet Fuzuli said, ‘If I speak, it is of no use; if I remain silent, my heart does not consent.’ We often encounter such dilemmas. This is how life flows.”

“Just like physical organs, we also have spiritual organs”

Explaining that human beings have the freedom to choose between good and evil, Tarhan stated that “The human body has physical systems, that is, the central nervous system, circulatory system, respiratory system, immune system, digestive system, and excretory system. These are our six core physical systems. But just like physical organs, we also have spiritual organs. Psychiatry reached an important stage once brain sciences became more understandable. Subjects such as the brain’s happiness chemicals, hormones, and how and when they are secreted started being studied through measurable, evidence-based methods. These developments led to the idea that the human soul must be something that exists beyond time and space. When compared with other living beings, this becomes clearer. Plants are living entities. Animals have a soul, but it is variable. Among spiritual beings, there is consciousness, but not intellect. For example, Satan has consciousness; so do angels, but neither has intellect. Humans, however, have both consciousness and intellect. Most importantly, the human mind includes the ability to choose between good and evil. Human beings are the only creatures capable of this. The frontal lobe, located in the front part of the brain, is like the captain’s bridge. Right behind it is the anterior cingulate cortex, which regulates emotions. This is what makes humans unique, unlike other creatures that only meet basic needs such as eating, drinking, reproduction, and shelter, human beings are distinguished by their moral agency and decision-making capacity. We have the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, and choose.”

“What governs the conscience is the person’s intention”

Tarhan explained that balance can be established between the heart and the ego and made the following remarks: There are approximately 4,300 religions in the world. Among them, the belief in the unity of God, that is, tawhid, is the most compatible with reason. One can arrive at tawhid through intellect. To communicate this, we first need to understand certain things. Fifty or a hundred years ago, it was much more difficult to find God using the mind alone. However, with the help of today’s data and contributions from neuroscience, it is becoming clear that human beings are fundamentally different from other creatures in their search for meaning. As we have said before, humans have spiritual organs. At the center of these is the conscience. Other living beings do not possess this. At the very center of conscience lies intention, and it is this that governs conscience. On one side of these spiritual organs lies the ego, which demands instantly, is insatiable, irresponsible, and boundless. On the other side is the heart, which feels pleasure when a person does what is good, right, and beautiful. There must be a criterion here: will the person follow their ego or their heart? This criterion is provided by the mind. The soul, on the other hand, is our spiritual connection with God. Imagine a sailboat. The heart is its engine. The soul is the wind that gives it energy. The mind is the captain’s bridge. But the heart also has an invisible command role, and it is actually the most important part of our soul. Together with the conscience, it is the center of our connection to the Creator. That is why hearts are said to be under God’s command. We can use our mind to control our ego. We can develop the ability to balance the ego and the heart. Therefore, the soul is the most vital spiritual organ that makes a human being truly human.”

“Every negative event has both a threat and an opportunity”

Tarhan emphasized that one should focus not on the threatening aspect of life events, but on the opportunities they bring and stated that “During a spring storm, rain pours, floods occur, trees fall, and branches break, but afterward, all the flowers bloom, and abundance follows. The process may be painful. However, instead of complaining about the pain, we should focus on our attitude in response to it. We must try to transform the pain into opportunity. Every negative event has both a threatening aspect and an opportunity within it. Fate does not make people suffer to oppress them. In fact, it is telling us, ‘Do not remain stuck in the mindset of the past.’ This is a reminder to avoid anachronism, which is to take the truths from the time of Rumi, Imam al-Ghazali, or Imam Rabbani and blindly apply them to today. Instead, we should bring them into the present and explain their truths in today’s language. If we fail to do this, we will fall into despair and believe that each day is worse than the last. However, that is not the case. The pain we are experiencing is the herald of a new birth.”

“Human nature is oriented toward seeking meaning”

Prof. Tarhan stated that religious individuals tend to have higher levels of psychological well-being and said: Spiritual counseling has now become a part of psychiatry, because its outcomes are becoming increasingly visible. For example, religious individuals have been found to have lower tendencies toward suicide. At the same time, psychological well-being, or wellbeing, is measured at higher levels among religious individuals. Many psychiatric disorders are less frequently seen in this group. For instance, if a patient entering surgery is whispering a prayer, the operation generally goes better. But if the patient enters the room with worries like, ‘Will it be cold inside? Will there be complications?’ the likelihood of complications increases. By nature, human beings are in a search for meaning. We are creatures capable of questioning the meaning of life and existence. In religious individuals, this uncertainty is greatly reduced because faith provides a framework.”

“Keeping the feeling of hope alive is very important”

Speaking about ways to strengthen the psychological resilience of prisoners, Tarhan said: “The most important message that can be given to them is to help them keep their sense of hope high. Keeping the feeling of hope alive is very important. In this context, patience is also a highly valuable concept. Patience manifests in two forms. The first is enduring evil, and we call this negative patience. The second is demonstrating resistance in the face of difficulties while pursuing a goal, and we call this positive patience. The third is the sense of gratitude. The feeling of thankfulness strengthens a person’s inner world. The fourth is religious practices, especially prayer. When a person prays, they say, ‘I am not alone. There is someone who hears me, who knows me. There is someone who knows what is in my heart, who sees what I think.’ This feeling reduces the sense of loneliness. That is why prayer is the most essential spiritual need for people in prison. If these four elements, that is, hope, patience, gratitude, and prayer, can be implemented together, the psychological resilience of prisoners can significantly increase.”

“Spirituality is adding meaning to life and to what you do”

Explaining what the word ‘spirituality’ evokes for him, Tarhan said that “The literal meaning of spirituality is ‘spiritual’, and in fact, it means ‘meaningful.’ For example, let us imagine we are holding a pen. This pen has a physical aspect and a meaningful aspect. If it lacks meaning, even if it is covered in diamonds, it has no value. Its meaning lies in its ability to write, and that writing function is its spiritual dimension. I interpret spirituality in this sense. However, in our society, spirituality is often wrongly perceived as being solely religious. This is incorrect. Spirituality means adding meaning to life and to the work one does. That is how I perceive spirituality.”

“Wisdom is assigning meaning to knowledge and adding value to life”

Explaining what the word ‘wise’ evokes for him, Tarhan said that “In our language, wisdom corresponds to the word hikmet. We have ilm (knowledge), irfan (insight), and then we have hikmet (wisdom). Wisdom comes into play at this point. Take Hagia Sophia, for example. Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror did not change its name. Because ‘Aya’ means high or sacred, and ‘Sophia’ means wisdom. So, Hagia Sophia essentially means ‘The Mosque of Supreme Wisdom.’ There is a philosophy that has continued since Socrates. Socrates said that the purpose of human existence is virtues. Wisdom is the ability to assign meaning to knowledge and to add value to life.”

“The greatest spiritual guide is the messenger of God”

Explaining what the word ‘guide’ means to him, Tarhan said that “The greatest guides in a person’s life are their parents. Then come the teachers who guide them. The human brain is not programmed to live without guidance. It absolutely needs a reference point, that is, a source from which it receives information and on which it relies. When guiding their children, parents should act like a pilot or a harbor master guiding a ship. We observe that many mothers and fathers put their children at the helm of life, but we must not idolize our own egos. Therefore, the greatest spiritual guide is the Messenger of God, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.”

Finally, addressing listeners of Diyanet Radio, Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: “Those who see beautifully, think beautifully. Those who think beautifully, enjoy their lives.”

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)