Is a life after death rational?

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, met with students at the psychology talks event titled ‘From Existence to the Search for Meaning,’ organized by the Ideas and Values Club of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ). Stating that humanity’s search for meaning in life leads it on a journey to find the truth, Tarhan said that the existence of life after death represents rational belief. Tarhan also explained the journey that leads a person to truth. 

The event, held at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center on the İTÜ Ayazağa Campus, attracted significant interest from university students.

“Humanity is the only being aware of the past and contemplating time”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that, unlike other living beings, humans have four genetic codes: “One is the gene for the search for meaning, meta-cognitive or supra-mind genes. The second is the novelty-seeking gene. The same gene is found on both sides of the brain in hyperactive individuals. The novelty-seeking gene is higher in restless, fidgety, impatient, hasty, and explorative people. The third is the gene for past time perception. Humanity is the only being that is aware of the past and thinks about time. The fourth is the gene for death perception. Humans are the only living beings who know they will die. No other living being knows it will die. It eats, drinks, lives, and dies when its time comes. All living beings have an innate code in their brain: the survival code... The software in human brains is the survival software. In a person with depression, that software breaks down. The desire and energy to live decrease, but when a sudden shock or event occurs, the thinking part of the brain deactivates, and the feeling part activates. Later, continuous misuse of the brain damages the prefrontal cortex, leading to a lack of desire to live and depression.” 

“Responding to an assumption with an assumption exists only in humans”

Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that attributing meaning is a genetic code in humans, which is why people engage in a search for meaning. Tarhan said: “When searching for meaning, information comes to mind. If they make sense of that information, they get rid of uncertainty. A thought or feeling comes to mind, and they must definitely give it meaning. There are mirror neurons that are not present in autistic children but are in humans. They are like a radio in the other person's brain. Two brains communicate; one feels what the other is thinking or feeling. There are motor mirror neurons in the brain. For example, if you raise your arm and the other person is looking at you, the same motor mirror neuron activates in their brain. There are also emotional mirror neurons. If you love someone very much, or have ill intentions, or are in love, parallel emotional mirror neurons vibrate in the other person's brain. Just like a radio. Humans transmit sound with radio frequencies, but in the brain, this is innate, from creation. For example, someone is talking on the other side. I guess what they are thinking, this is called theory of mind. You assume what the other person is thinking, you assign meaning, and then the human brain does a second job. It does theory of theory. It thinks about what the other person is thinking. It perceives what they are thinking and then also perceives what answer to give them. It can respond to an assumption with an assumption. This only exists in humans.” 

“The frontal brain ensures the collaborative work of the two brains”

In the program, which students followed carefully, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also discussed how unique human interpretation functions in the search for meaning: “The frontal region of our brain is the decision-making area. It performs the interpretation. The left brain is concerned with reasoning, analysis, calculation, and mathematical thinking. The right brain provides a holistic view related to our emotions, excitements, aesthetic perception, and ethics. The frontal brain ensures the collaborative work of the two brains. Among living beings, 2/3 of the brain is what we call the frontal-temporal region. This region is found in the largest proportion in humans among all living beings. It is the area of meaning and decision-making. It is called the brain's captain's bridge. It interprets events and makes decisions. When making these decisions, the human brain first recognizes the past. There is a mathematical radar in the brain. It scans the past, predicts the future, and reacts. It scans whether a benevolent thought or a malevolent thought wants to convey something. If it scans in a healthy way, it makes healthy decisions. To scan the future, it also needs to develop itself…” 

The 6 Loyal Guardians of Memory…

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan explained Irvin D. Yalom’s four fundamental anxieties of modern humans. Tarhan said: “One of these is the search for meaning. When a person cannot make sense of things, anxiety increases, and they fall into depression. The second is the fear of uncertainty. The third is the fear of death, and the fourth is the fear of loneliness. In the search for meaning, humans ask the questions, ‘Where did I come from, where am I going, and why?’ There is a Canadian psychologist who calls this 5W1H. They ask the questions, ‘Who, what, where, when, how, why?’ and call these ‘The 6 Loyal Guardians of Memory.’ In the brain, there are networks for who, where, how, why. For example, a person knows three languages. Let’s say Turkish, English, and Arabic. All three have separate networks in the brain. None of them mix when speaking, but if you speak while thinking, you can mix them up. If the brain learned all three from childhood, it can use them as three networks. It has to do with practice.” 

“Without the frontal lobe in our brain, there would be no civilization”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that humans have a desire to search for and find their own identity: “The only living being that thinks philosophically and deeply, becoming aware of its own existence and future, asking the questions ‘Why do I exist, where did I come from, where am I going?’ is a human. We owe this to the frontal lobe in humans. Without the frontal lobe in our brain, there would be no civilization. The difference between a chimpanzee’s brain and a human brain is 95 percent; the genes are the same. With a 5 percent difference, we became human instead of chimpanzee. This 5 percent difference is related to some metaphysical genes. Consequently, humans have the desire to ask, ‘Who am I, where did I come from, where am I going?’ To search for and find one’s own identity… There are 5W1H networks in the brain. If you act accordingly, you can be happy in this world. The brain is a marvelous gift given to us. Whoever can use it can do anything.”

“When quantum physics emerged, the information state of matter appeared”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that with the proof of quantum entanglement, the information state of matter emerged: “Proving quantum entanglement means proving the relativity of matter. Einstein had proven the relativity of time. In the relativity of matter, the universe is actually considered matter-based. Later, physics and fundamental sciences advanced. It was said that the universe is not matter-based but energy-based. This was accepted until 2022. After 2022, it was understood that the universe is digital-based, everything is digital. Meaning emerges dialectically for matter; it is accepted. When quantum physics emerged, the information state of matter appeared. The information state was added to the three states of matter. For example, when a project is to be drawn, you first have information in your mind. You make a storage based on that information. Then you do design and calculation, and then you draw the project. After that, the project needs to be brought to life. For this, power and energy are needed, and this is where physics comes into play.” 

“Humanity is currently in search of a rational belief”

Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that humans need a search for meaning and consolation: “The first path leading to truth is experiment and observation, and the second is reasoning. By conducting thought experiments with a reasoning system, the MRI machine emerged. The third is rational intuition. For example, Mozart’s works came into existence through rational intuition. Newton finding the apple… There are three apples that changed human history: the first is Prophet Adam’s apple, the second is Newton’s apple, and the third is Apple’s apple. We can say they changed life and the world. That is why humans have a search for meaning in life. This leads humans on a journey to find the truth. The first of the three paths leading to truth is experiment and observation, the second is reasoning, the third is rational intuition, and the fourth is rational belief. There must be a rational belief that can answer the question of whether a creator is necessary in the universe. Humanity is currently in search of a rational belief. The greatest need in the 21st century is to find the only true belief that is consistent with reason. People are in pursuit of this…” 

“Faith and science are not rivals but complementary to each other”

Tarhan stated that when faith and science complement each other, they settle on a certain ground in people’s minds: “Faith and science are not rivals but complementary to each other. These are not political issues but entirely existential ones. When they complement each other, they settle on a certain ground in the mind. Then, even engaging with mathematics, physics, and chemistry can be seen as something the creator wants from you, according to this. One needs to think about how to act in a way that is aligned with the creator of this universe, with divine purpose, and with a higher meaning. We are currently using this as a therapy method. There are third-generation psychotherapies. One of these is believing in a higher power, a higher value. Having a mental sanctuary, feeling that you are part of a greater meaning. When you experience trauma, sadness, or fear, and you learn that you are part of a greater meaning, that you will not cease to exist after death, but merely transition from one energy band to another, then a person says: ‘In that case, if I do good and beautiful things in this life, I will then move on to a more beautiful life form.’ He says. If there is no different life form after death, then everything is meaningless.”

“The existence of life after death is a rational belief”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a person will not fear death only if they attribute meaning to the afterlife: “All humans have a desire for eternity, a sense of permanence. The existence of this sense of permanence, as a cause-and-effect relationship, rationally demonstrates the existence of life after death. This is called rational belief. The existence of life after death is a rational belief; without it, one cannot live. Therefore, if a person believes in their rational beliefs, that there is life after death, it finds meaning. How to live this life requires the person to use rational reasoning to determine which teachings are good for them and which are aligned with divine purpose. There is no one who does not fear death, but if one has attributed meaning to the afterlife, they will not fear death. This is the only truth without exception, an inevitable truth…”

“The greatest proof is reason…” 

Tarhan emphasized that the greatest proof regarding death is the method of reason. Tarhan said, “The presence of this feeling in humans after death, the desire for life after death in humans, carries evidence and value regarding the existence of a creator. If you are looking for proof about the afterlife, the greatest proof is the method of reason.”

“Flaws are part of perfection”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the flaws, errors, and irregularities in the universe are actually part of chaos theory: “Flaws are part of perfection. Indeed, without them, there would be no perfection. For example, one of the fundamental energy laws of engineering is the law of thermodynamics. In the law of thermodynamics, it is observed that disorder exists if entropy is high. The universe is moving from order to disorder. For instance, if you don’t constantly illuminate a room, it becomes dark, or if you don’t heat it, it becomes cold. If you don’t clean a room, it becomes full of trash. When you leave the universe to itself, it moves towards disorder, and it needs external control to establish order. We use this in psychology as behavioral entropy. That is, if goodness does not increase, evil increases spontaneously. Even if good people do nothing, evil increases at the same rate in this world.”

‘Psychology of Wisdom’ gifted to 15 students

At the end of the event, 15 students were gifted Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan’s work titled “Psychology of Wisdom” through a raffle. 

Tarhan signed his books for the students. 

Following the raffle, a plaque was presented to Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan for his participation. 

Reporter: Eda Nur Keçeci