Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, met with professionals within the scope of the ‘Zirve Psychology’ event organized by Akansel Eğitim Danışmanlık. At the online event, Tarhan gave a presentation titled “Inner Discovery Journey in Psychology.” Tarhan stated that modernism adopted a consumption-oriented life philosophy. Highlighting that the “earn, consume” cycle revolves in consumer culture, Tarhan emphasized that consumer culture has started to deplete not only financial resources but also our psychological resources and relationships.
“The rules of the bad part are lawlessness”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who stated that lawlessness prevails within the id in the highly attended program; “The 'bad part' within us is referred to as 'nafs' in our belief system. In psychoanalysis, it is called the id. The rules of the bad part are lawlessness. It recognizes concrete pleasures. It says, ‘What I like is good, what I don't like is bad.’ It says, ‘What benefits me is good, what does not benefit me is bad.’ It defines this, and it works like nuclear energy within us. It is also called id or instinct. Animals have instinct, humans have an inner drive called the id here. Dreams are a different domain of this. Fire and gunpowder do not physically come together in the world, but they do in dreams. In dreams, everything, good and bad, comes together. Similarly, within this id, there is lawlessness. Everything, good and bad, is mixed.”
“Self-actualization does not satisfy psychosocial needs”
Tarhan, talking about Maslow's hierarchy of psychosocial needs; “Before his death, Maslow placed self-transcendence at the very top of his hierarchy. He put self-transcendence instead of self-actualization. At the top was self-actualization. Being virtuous, sincere, solving problems, being unprejudiced, and a self-actualized person would do these things. Self-transcendence, on the other hand, is about a person transcending themselves. In other words, he placed transcending oneself and helping others above self-actualization. So, in neuroscience, it is said, ‘Humans are relational beings.’ ‘Is the human mind a quantum receiver in the universe?’ is currently being debated. In such a situation, self-actualization does not satisfy psychosocial needs. At the very bottom are physiological needs. Eating, drinking, reproduction, shelter, safety. The need to love, be loved, feel safe, and be respected. We now need to change this definition made by classical psychology.”
“Modernism also affected psychology”
Tarhan, stating that modernism adopted a consumption-oriented life philosophy; “Humans are conscious beings, and these conscious beings were mismanaging themselves, and psychology, unknowingly, was influenced by neoliberal policies. It started to see the negative consequences of this. Neoliberal policies: in the US, a major economic collapse occurred in 1929. After the collapse, regulations were introduced to capitalism. Many rules were set, and it grew with these regulations. On top of this growth, Ibn Khaldun says, ‘If taxes and rules on people are many, a poor society cannot become rich.’ ‘If you want it to become rich, loosen the rules.’ This is done. This time, when the regulations that were previously mandatory were lifted, capitalism, with the ease provided by the Cold War, created a consumption philosophy. So, currently, modernism has also affected psychology. Modernism is consumption-oriented. It revolves around the ‘earn, consume’ cycle. The more you consume, the more you shop, the more you display yourself, the more brands you wear, the more you say 'I', the more it consumes. As it consumes, capitalism enjoys it. This capitalist system changed the philosophy of life. As a result of this change in life philosophy, people started to see negative consequences.”
“Consciousness awareness is becoming aware of existence”
Tarhan, speaking on awareness and consciousness; “Consciousness awareness is becoming aware of existence. It is being able to perceive abstract concepts and act purposefully. According to quantum electrodynamics, consciousness is a subjective observer. According to quantum, we are subjective observers. When we talk about consciousness, we are within matter. When a person dies, they suddenly turn into an energy band. What best helps us understand consciousness is that different states of consciousness occur when a person takes alcohol, drugs, or undergoes hypnosis. Mental control weakens; they cannot perceive their consciousness. Conscious decision-making is willpower. Among living beings, the only one who perceives the 'self-consciousness' is humans. No other living being besides humans has 'self-consciousness'. Asking questions like ‘Who am I?’ ‘Where should I direct myself?’ ‘Where do I belong?’ is unique to humans. The search for meaning is unique to humans…”
“The mind synthesizes the world of meaning and the material world”
Tarhan, explaining the connection between the world of meaning and the material world; “The intellectual bad part is known as 'waswasa' (whispers of evil) among the public, and 'devil' in religious literature. It directs a malevolent part towards the self (nafs). We also have a good emotional part, which is conscience. It guides us to distinguish between what to do and what not to do. The intellectual part is reason. This part also perceives, understands, interprets, and sets goals. Will also makes decisions. The frontal lobe makes decisions. Our emotional energy is the heart. We have an emotional energy that loves and motivates us. The mind synthesizes the world of meaning and the material world. We live in a material world, and there is also a world of meaning. We live in a concrete world, but there is also abstract knowledge. There is an abstract reality. The organ that decides between abstract reality and concrete reality is the mind. In English, it is referred to as mental. The mind synthesizes the material world with the world of meaning. In schizophrenia, this doesn't work. In schizophrenia, the person confuses hyperreality. They dream or have visions in the material world we live in. They want to continue the things they saw in their dreams as if they had lived them. They continue to live in that realm. We call this dereistic thought, an autistic lifestyle.”
“Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change based on experiences”
Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of the correct approach in treatment; “Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change based on experiences. In other words, research in neuroscience shows that the human brain can change throughout life by learning new information and adapting to experiences. Therapy means repairing broken pathways in our brain, rewiring, reprogramming, and resetting. In other words, in therapy, we work on our brain like a sculptor. If a person believes and mentally 'buys into' our information set, they change that network in their brain. It changes prejudices, changes automatic stereotypical judgments. If we do this, we are changing neuroplasticity. In fact, therapy means intervention in the brain. If you do this incorrectly, the person becomes more depressed. It brings childhood traumas to the present. They become hostile towards their mother and father. You create other problems while trying to solve one problem for the person, like reopening a wound. You create second, third traumas. Therefore, therapy is truly a master's craft. One needs to know this.”
“Mirror neurons form the biological foundations of social learning”
Tarhan, talking about the effect of emotional mirror neurons; “In mirror neurons, for example, there are motor mirror neurons, and there are also emotional mirror neurons. That is, when someone with strong emotions comes before us, the emotional mirror neurons in our brain simultaneously activate the area of our brain related to those same emotions, and thus a type of perception emerges. This is a strong feeling. When people say, ‘I got a frequency,’ or ‘I felt a strong electricity,’ it actually resembles the situation we see in dating shows. Mirror neurons form the biological foundations of our empathy ability and social learning. For example, when mirror neurons are not working, only motor mirror neurons are active, as in animals. But in humans, emotional mirror neurons are also found.”
Psychological resources are also depleting!
Tarhan, explaining Aristotle's hedonic happiness; “Hedonic happiness is pleasure happiness. It is the happiness that consumer culture teaches us right now. In consumer culture, the ‘Earn, consume’ cycle revolves. Consumer culture has started to deplete not only our financial resources but also our relationships and psychological resources; we have become isolated. It also depletes our psychological resilience. Depression is increasing, anxiety is increasing. This is the reflection of the consumption economy on psychology. We are being instruments of this, and psychology is not aware. The world is now experiencing a civilization crisis. Young people have become victims. New generations have become victims. Depression, suicide crises are increasing. Something is signaling. Consumer culture has a very serious role in this. We are currently losing the Anatolian wisdom. Families are also breaking apart. There is a very serious crisis…”
“Narcissism is like a wild horse; we need to train it”
Tarhan, stating that narcissism can be treated; “Globally, we are not doing well. We need to go into our inner world and treat narcissism. There are ways to treat narcissism. If we can succeed in training the bad part within us, we can treat narcissism. The malevolent part is also an energizing part. It is a nuclear part. It gives energy. If we use it in a good way, it makes us productive. If we use it in a bad way, it harms us. Narcissism is like a wild horse; we need to train it.”