Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, attended the 'Leadership Camp' seminar organized by Bursa Youth Camp. In the online program, Tarhan thoroughly discussed the topic 'The Meaning of Life and Creation.' Drawing attention to the erroneous philosophy of happiness, Tarhan stated that investment in happiness is necessary. Reminding that the responsibility for reconstructing values falls upon the young generations, Tarhan mentioned that the term 'happiness' should be understood correctly. Tarhan stated, 'As long as one cannot control their pleasures, they are socially obese. The biggest cause of this obesity is hedonist eating.'
The discussion at the Leaders' Camp, organized by the Turkish Foundation for the Education of Gifted and Talented Children (TÜZDEV) with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kasım Takım.
“It is important to address humanity in a changing world”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, pointing out that humans are the only beings capable of asking questions about themselves, stated: “It is important to address humanity in a changing world concerning the meaning of life and creation. Currently, this is an ancient question for humanity. Humans are the only beings capable of asking questions about themselves. The Webb Space Telescope has emerged. It reached places that appeared dark in the world. There is a magnificent system, and within this system, the world is like a dot. Hawking also has a confession. 'In such a large system and order, my mathematical mind does not believe that all the planets in this world are empty. According to my mathematical mind, there is so much life, movement, existence, and humanity on this tiny world. Therefore, there must be living beings on other planets too. They will come one day and invade the world. They will occupy it just as Europeans invaded America. Be ready for this!' he concluded. In essence, there is a confession there. As a physicist, there is an inability to add meaning to life, to see meaning. Another Western psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, who is of Jewish origin, says, 'What keeps a person alive is meaning; therefore, I must have a meaning to live!' He settles in the USA and starts an important school of thought."
“A meaning consistent with the belief in Tawhid becomes the closest meaning to reason”
Tarhan, stating that one should look at what the search for meaning in Islam reveals, said: “Buddhism says the world is constantly changing. But the universe is not just the world. Western philosophy also saw humans as mortal and the universe as eternal. This was Western philosophy's explanation of meaning. However, it is now understood that according to the law of entropy, the universe is increasingly moving from order to disorder. Constant intervention is needed. If there is no intervention, there will be heat death, and the universe will end. For example, there is no darkness, there is the absence of light. There is no coldness, there is the absence of heat. In this law of entropy, continuous external control intervention is needed. All this shows that humans must have another meaning beyond this world. We are temporary in this world. Islam says humans are immortal. The human soul changes its place after death. According to quantum physics, we change our energy band. This is the closest explanation to reason. According to Islam, the universe is mortal, but humans are eternal. The eternal are Allah and humans. We will make truths related to meaning according to this. Meaning is not independent of creation. A meaning consistent with the belief in Tawhid becomes the closest meaning to reason. Neuroscience already says, 'If a person pursues meaning, they will be happy.'"
“Humans have a need to believe in a higher power”
Tarhan, stating that the most reasonable belief is Tawhid, said: “At the top of psychosocial needs, it is stated that for a person to be happy, they must be part of a greater meaning. Materialism has now gone bankrupt; it has scientifically collapsed and ended. Post-materialist science has begun. Science is still our guide. We will proceed with scientific rigor. We will not fear scientific rigor. We will bring scientific rigor into the laboratory. We will evaluate our religion and beliefs with thought experiments. When we look at this, we see that the most important path consistent with reason is Tawhid. There are 4,300 religions in the universe that explain existence. All of them foresee the need to believe in a God. Among these, the belief in Tawhid is the closest to reason. Humans have a need to believe in a higher power. This fulfills that need. Because there is a power that knows and controls everything. It says souls are eternal and acts accordingly. It soothes oneself. There must be another concept that explains existence, creation, and the meaning of life. When you investigate the whole, the arrows point to Tawhid. It shows that we need to rewrite the conception of God. The most beautiful conception is the conception of Tawhid. If there is a creator, it must have these characteristics. The Holy Quran best demonstrates this. The conception of God that best explains existence is the conception of Tawhid,' he said.
“If the universe is a tree, man is the fruit of that tree”
Tarhan, speaking about simulation theory, said: “The purpose of the revelation of the Holy Quran is to be understood. To understand Allah is to understand existence. When we look at the Holy Quran, man appears as the fruit of the universe. If the universe is a tree, man is the fruit of that tree. It bestows upon man the magnificent meaning of 'Ashraf-i Makhluqat' (the noblest of creations). Man, being the fruit of the universe. Why is man the fruit of the universe? Look at Asma-ul Husna (the Beautiful Names of Allah). Angels obey, Satan opposes everything. Unlike other creations, man has free will. He also has the freedom to do evil. For man to be free, he must have the freedom to do evil. He will do it and live its consequences. If he does not experience this, then we cannot speak of freedom. This is one of the most important pillars of the discussions on evil. For this reason, even though man can do evil, he can choose good and become an interlocutor with Allah. The Creator of the universe created us in a simulation. Currently, the theory that best adds meaning to the existence of the universe is simulation theory. We are actually living in a simulation. The high will that wrote this simulation knows what we will do. We are responsible for what we do. This perspective also explains destiny. This is the understanding of meaning. When you look at the Holy Quran from 360 degrees, you can find answers to all questions," he said.
“The biggest cause of obesity is hedonist eating”
Tarhan stated that as long as a person cannot stop their pleasures, they become socially obese: “Modernism changed the philosophy of life. It adopted the philosophy that what is in line with one's interest is good, and what is not in line with one's interest is bad. In neuroscience, this is called dopamine happiness. Dopamine happiness is also pleasure happiness; this is called hedonist eating. The biggest cause of obesity is hedonist eating. It is eating for pleasure. Just as a person becomes obese by not being able to say no to their pleasures, they also become psychologically and socially obese when they cannot stop their enjoyment of entertainment, money, status, and worldly pleasures. The psychological equivalent of this is narcissism. Hedonistic eating is a cause of obesity, and social obesity is a cause of narcissism (ego inflation). Aristotle divides happiness into two: pleasure happiness and meaning happiness. Meaning happiness is eudaimonic happiness. Those who think long-term achieve meaning happiness. The hormone for pleasure happiness is dopamine, and the hormone for meaning happiness is serotonin. The serotonin hormone is secreted in the brains of those who pursue ideas, ideals, and meaning. Dopamine is secreted in the brains of those who pursue pleasure. If we live our lives focused on dopamine as the meaning of our lives, we will live like an addict, unable to enjoy life, and desire suicide. For example, if we invest our love in ourselves, we become narcissists. We need to invest our love in society, humanity, life, existence, and the Creator. Mevlana did just that. For example, he called his love investment 'Aşk-ı İlahi' (Divine Love). He moved from metaphorical love to true love, turning towards Allah. Because he turned towards Allah, he found immense peace."
“When we live in accordance with the meaning of existence, we will also attain inner peace”
Tarhan, explaining the importance of living a meaningful life, said: “Living a meaningful life is in our best interest. When we live in accordance with the meaning of existence, we will also attain inner peace. For example, the word 'huzur' has no direct equivalent in English; they say 'peace.' But peace and 'huzur' are not the same. Our Holy Quran has equivalents for 'teskin' (calmness) and 'sükûnet' (tranquility). Muhammad Iqbal said, 'The West rejected the afterlife and focused on the world. We abandoned the world and focused on the afterlife. We could not establish a balance between the two.' Allah did not send us to this world to suffer. He sent us to use the blessings of this world in His path. He sent us to live its blessings in pursuit of a higher meaning. We are going through such a trial. We hope that we will be among those who can experience the inner peace, serenity, well-being, and comfort of adding meaning to life. I wish someone had told us these things in our youth. Our young friends are very lucky. We used to learn through trial and error, with great effort and hardship…” he continued.
“The paths to truth are stony roads”
Tarhan, stating that the term 'happiness' should be understood correctly, said: “The person who should be our role model right now is Prophet Muhammad. When we look at his life, revelations began when he reached the age of forty. He was surprised, and then no revelation came for two years. Khadijah comforted him. During those two years, he constantly tried to go to the Cave of Thawr. He was so overwhelmed that he thought he would rather die and be free. Two years later, verses of comfort came. Allah was waiting for him to mature spiritually. It was a period of hardship... There was an immense struggle. Indeed, when we look at his life, it seems like a trial. In other times too, there was a magnificent spiritual jihad. However, while engaging in this struggle, he was not sorrowful or grieving. There is a Year of Sorrow in the life of the Messenger of Allah. In that year, the person who raised him like a father passed away, and his wife passed away. He suffered great hardship, but in that Year of Sorrow, the Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey and Ascension) occurred. There is something great behind it. There is an immense inner peace in the life of the Messenger of Allah. When we say happiness, we understand comfort. Happiness and comfort are not the same thing. Comfort-seeking, ease, is a delusion offered to us by modernism. It is a serious mental distortion it perpetrates on us. Like pursuing comfort... Modernism teaches this. It is ideal for a person to be both comfortable and happy, but such a reality does not exist in life. Beautiful things emerged after hardships. For example, the paths to truth, happiness, and peace are not flowery paths but stony roads. There is labor, sweating, tiredness. Beautiful things emerge after that."
“We will seek happiness in both worlds”
Tarhan, stating that the number of people who have everything but are unhappy is increasing, said: “We have been sent to this world to earn the hereafter. This is our reason for existence. Clinics are full of people who have everything but are unhappy. Modernism produces a type of person who is not at peace with themselves. That is why we will seek happiness in both worlds. We will seek this for religious reasons. For example, at the end of the prayer, we say, ‘Rabbana atina fiddunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina azaban-nar.’ This means, ‘O Allah, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.’ The concluding prayer of Hajj is also the same prayer. Happiness in both worlds… What the Messenger of Allah also taught us is to ask for goodness in both worlds. True Islam aims for happiness in both worlds. If one only seeks happiness in this world, they cannot achieve it. Because death, calamities, and illness come, and one cannot produce solutions. There is a theory of control dilemma, which is important in this search for meaning. There are things a person can control and things they cannot. There are things within one's power and things beyond it. If a person persistently desires something they cannot control or is beyond their power, they suffer," he said.
“Pleasures outside the legitimate sphere are poisoned honey”
Tarhan stated that one should not be deceived by the deceptive comforts of the world: “Secularism and egoism are the two most important diseases of this age. They affect not only non-believers but also believers. Therefore, pursuing comfort is contrary to human nature. You should pursue high goals. Happiness is a colorful shadow. If you pursue meaning, it will follow you. If you try to catch the shadow, it will run away. It will follow you like a cat's tail. Therefore, let us pursue meaning. Happiness will come. We will take the leadership of the Messenger of Allah as an example. He is the true leader. When we take the leadership of the Messenger of Allah as an example, we also discipline our souls. We are currently living in what we call the illusion of the world. Let us live what we possess in the best way possible. Pleasures outside the legitimate sphere are poisoned honey. Beware of these poisoned honeys, these illicit pleasures. If you taste poisoned honey, it tastes good at that moment, but then it causes immense pain. Let us not be lured by the deceptive comforts of the world and not seek comfort. Let us seek meaning, and comfort will come on its own," he said.
“Happiness does not come by itself”
Tarhan, speaking about the PERMA model, said: “Darkness is the absence of light, cold is the absence of warmth, and evil is the absence of good. The best way to combat evil is to do good. The way to combat darkness is to light a candle. Doing good also brings happiness. There is an entropic relationship between pleasure and sorrow. There is a happiness called authentic happiness, which is known as the PERMA model. First, 'Positive emotion' is being in a positive state of mind in the face of events. Second, 'Engagement' is a person being engaged in a subject. These are activities done with pleasure, where one doesn't realize how time passes. Third, 'Relationship' means a person with a strong social sphere and social ties can achieve happiness. It is being in a social interaction that makes them happy. Fourth, 'Meaning' is pursuing meaning. It is for a person's work to be part of a greater meaning in their life. It is having a mental refuge in the face of events. The fifth component of the PERMA model is called 'Accomplishment.' It is finding happiness in small successes and ordinary things. The inner peace these provide is happiness. Effort is required to do these. Investment is required. When you don't do these, sorrow, grief, and restlessness come naturally. If we don't invest in happiness, happiness doesn't come by itself. If we want happiness in marriage, we will invest in happiness. Just as we heat our home, our room…” he said.
“We need to invest in happiness”
Tarhan, stating that investment in happiness is necessary, concluded his words by saying: “Our philosophy of happiness is wrong. We need to invest in happiness. The responsibility for reconstructing our values falls upon the young generations once again. It is our responsibility to reconstruct our moral, human, and existential values and to pass them on to new generations. We need to be good role models. There will be a generation with a computer in one hand and the Holy Quran in the other. There will be a youth focused on both this world and the hereafter. Only then can we attain happiness."