Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressed the topic 'Is Religiosity Related to Psychological Health?' in the program 'Akla Kapı with Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan' broadcast on Dost TV and Dost FM. Speaking about the effect of religiosity on psychology, Tarhan stated that a person who prays would not feel lonely. Tarhan, stating that 'the essence of prayer and worship is to establish a connection with Allah,' noted that our own self is most deserving of criticism, and that high ego and religiosity are not compatible.
When our psychological integrity is disturbed, psychological disorders emerge
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that people's psychological integrity begins to deteriorate when the region managing the autonomous nervous system in the human brain starts to malfunction; “The hypothalamus region in the brain is the area that manages the autonomic nervous system. It's the region that tells the brain to fight or flee, that detects threats and reacts in moments of danger. When this region malfunctions in some individuals, their sense of control and the feeling of maintaining psychological integrity are disrupted. This is not something within the person's control; it has a biological basis. Just as our body's physical integrity is disrupted when our arm or leg hurts, similarly, when our psychological integrity is disrupted, psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and panic attacks emerge.” he said.
“Being religious is like holding fire in your palm”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, stating that rational intuition is a reasonable intuition, pointed out that rational intuition and rational belief are paths leading to truth. Tarhan said; “Reasonable belief, reasonable intuitions are among the paths that lead a person to truth. Religiosity has three dimensions: First, the dimension of belief, which is the dimension of thought. Second, the dimension of practice, and third, the dimension of sustaining it. Even when entering a dervish lodge, 'respect' (edep) is written on its door first. There is no knowledge without respect. Respect means being able to live by the truths one knows. To be religious, faith and morality must become a part of one's character and personality. Being religious is like holding fire in your palm. You cannot let go, but you endure the burning. We are in such a time. In such a time, if people say 'let it be easy and as I wish,' then they have to compromise on one of them.” he said.
“High ego and religiosity are not compatible”
Tarhan, pointing out that high ego and religiosity are incompatible; “There is a term called Enaniyet-i Diniyye (religious egoism). People who are like this are very religious. Because of their degree of religiosity, a person is tested where they are most sensitive. They are tested for errors related to their religiosity. Having a high ego and religiosity are not compatible. If one has both a high ego and is religious, they should question their religiosity. We frequently encounter examples of this type of religious typology with high ego today.” he said.
“Our self is most deserving of criticism”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressing the three concepts of religiosity; “Religiosity has three different concepts: being a scholar (alim), being a gnostic (arif), and being a healer (hekim). A person can be a scholar, know a lot, you open a topic, and say there is tremendous knowledge, but then you see they are not a gnostic. A gnostic shapes themselves before shaping others. Our self is most deserving of criticism. Someone who doesn't correct themselves, who isn't their own leader, cannot be the leader of others. This is called neuro-leadership. A person should be able to manage themselves like a businessman manages a budget. And then there are perfectionists; they want everyone to be perfect. Religiosity and perfectionism go together, so much so that they see themselves as perfect, wanting 'I am perfect, and they should be perfect too.' This is hidden egoism…” he stated.
A person needs to have mental flexibility
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that one must adapt to social life while preserving one's identity; “A person can make their religiosity applicable in social life without abandoning it. For this, they need to have mental flexibility. According to the place and situation, fundamental values of religion such as; keeping one's word, not lying, doing good to people, being open, transparent, honest, and accountable—all these constitute the moral core of religion. For someone to have moral principles, they first need a sense of accountability. There are social norms determined by law and traditions, and there are moral norms determined by conscience. Conscience determines moral norms. What shapes conscience is a person's sincerity, values, and beliefs. Everyone's conscience is different. In such situations, a person needs to make decisions based on certain values within their conscience. When making a decision, embarking on a path, or doing a job, they need to listen to that inner voice. They need to form their mental jury. If they cannot do this, they will only be moving forward to satisfy themselves on the path of life.” he said.
“Believing requires affiliation”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, emphasizing the need to clearly understand the concept of faith (iman); “It is in the Holy Quran, in a holy verse, it says, 'O you who believe, believe!' Faith is alive on its own, it can renew itself, it is dynamic. A person believes, but when they believe, it also requires an affiliation. This universe has a creator; one must belong to their creator. For example, in traffic, in social life, there are rules, and you have to obey them. This is an affiliation, a belonging, and a bond. If you believe in Allah, you need to establish a heartfelt connection with Allah. A person needs to be 'online' with the Creator. The most frequently mentioned thing in the Holy Quran is, 'Remembering Allah (zikir) brings peace to hearts.' A person who believes in Allah does not feel lonely. If you want a friend, Allah is sufficient; if you want a companion, a sacrifice is sufficient; if you want an enemy, your own self is sufficient. That is, a person who establishes friendship with Allah feels the same pleasure whether they are in prison or on the beach.” he said.
“One who prays does not feel lonely”
Tarhan, emphasizing that the essence of prayer (dua) and worship (ibadet) is to establish a connection with Allah; “One who prays does not feel lonely. They say, 'There is a power, a will, that knows everything, answers my questions, knows, sees, and understands my needs.' There, in the face of the Creator of the universe, you realize your own powerlessness, weakness, and deficiencies, and you surrender to Him. This is like trusting the captain when you board a bus, or the pilot when you board a plane. If you trust the pilot when you get on a plane, you will travel comfortably, but if you don't trust them and say, 'Does this person know their job? Did they drink alcohol? Are they sick?' you cannot travel comfortably. This ship of the universe also has a captain. When you surrender to Him, you find the peace He gives. If a person who claims to be religious cannot find this peace, they should question their religiosity. When you connect with Allah, He gives that inner peace. The word 'zikir' (remembrance) means to connect. That is, to keep Allah in your mind, heart, tongue, and intention, to remember Him. When you realize this, it gives a person tremendous peace, strength, and energy in the face of all kinds of difficulties. The essence of prayer and worship is to succeed in establishing a connection with Allah.” he stated.
“Sustainability in religiosity is very important”
Tarhan, stating that whether a person is religious or not is understood at the end of their life; “Sustainability in religiosity is very important. Whether a person is religious or not is understood at the end of their life. This is like success; no one can say 'I am successful' or 'I am unsuccessful.' Just as there is total quality in quality, there is total religiosity in religiosity. This also becomes clear at the end of life. If a person says, 'I am religious, I am among the saved (ehli necat),' that person is not guaranteed. We must be between 'fear' (havf) and 'hope' (reca), that is, between hope and fear. This lasts until the last breath of life. A person who says 'I am religious' and carries religiosity like a badge on their chest, when they make a mistake, causes representational harm to people, setting a bad example.” he said.
“Prayer removes the feeling of loneliness”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that a young person who performs prayer (namaz) in a time of strong moral trials is like an old-time saint; “Prayer removes a person's feeling of loneliness. There is prayer performed out of a sense of responsibility, prayer performed culturally, and prayer performed by internalizing it. In this era, for a person to enjoy prayer, they need to refrain from sins and unlawful acts (haram). In this era, prayer is performed even without enjoying it. Many people perform it, but for those who cannot, at least having the effort to perform it is also a good intention. In a time when the moral test is very strong, a young person who performs prayer is like an old-time saint (evliya). A young person who fulfills the obligatory duties (farz) and basic religious duties is an old-time saint. Therefore, performing prayer protects a person from evil. It creates a protective effect against the possibility of a person straying from the path. If one does this, that prayer is beneficial, but if it doesn't protect one from evil, lies, slander, bribery, and deception, then that prayer is merely a habitual prayer.” he said.