Organized by the Conscience of the Age Club with the support of Üsküdar University Health, Culture and Sports (SKS) Department, 'Existential Talks with Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan' were held this week, as every week, with intense participation from students. Tarhan stated that those who pursue truth in the modern age are embracing difficulty; 'We must be in social life; this is the difficult part. If you say you are seeking the truth in this era, you will become an activist by embracing difficulty. God gives opportunities to those who seek the truth to find it.'
'Not reform, but renaissance is needed'
Stating that the new generation has difficulty understanding religious issues, Tarhan emphasized the need to renew religious discourses for easier comprehension of Quranic verses. Tarhan, stating that the Holy Quran needs a renaissance, not a reform, said: 'The new generation cannot understand some things. Therefore, in my opinion, Islam does not need reform; its main rules are clear. The Holy Quran is very clear. The Holy Quran needs a renaissance. Renaissance means renewal, revitalization. Reform, on the other hand, means reshaping, changing the roof, changing the skeleton of the building. Therefore, Islam needs a renaissance. It is more correct to make a statement that has conceptual accuracy. There is a need for renewal, not a change in concept.'
'If you seek the truth, you will be an activist'
Emphasizing the necessity of being part of social life to be a leader rather than merely led, Tarhan stated that those who pursue the truth are embracing difficulty. Tarhan said; 'We must be in social life; this is the difficult part. If someone you love falls into a swamp and you say 'I can't save them, my clothes will get muddy,' then you are selfish and not a good person. Of course, your clothes will get muddy and soiled when you pull them out of the swamp, but you will also learn to clean them. That's why if we live in social life, we will face these difficulties. Despite that exposure, we will not give up on our goal. Otherwise, we will just be the ones being managed. We need to be activists who embrace difficulty, not just managed. If you say you are seeking the truth in this era, you will become an activist. God gives opportunities to those who seek the truth to find it.'
'Since there is life after death, this life must have meaning'
Stating that the human desire for immortality points to life after death, Tarhan noted that this will be proven by research into metacognitive genes. Tarhan said; 'There is currently a study being conducted to see if youth can find a way for cells to continue dividing. Humans do not want to die; there is a desire for immortality within them. The Creator wanted to give immortality to humans, so He gave them the feeling of desiring immortality. Just as we have a feeling of appetite and eating, we also have a feeling of eternity. These are currently being researched as metacognitive genes – supra-mind genes. One of these supra-mind genes is the gene for the search for meaning, which exists only in humans. The other is the gene related to the concept of time. Humans are the only beings who question the past and the future. This is actually a gene for humanity's search for infinity. Another metacognitive gene is the perception of death. The other is the gene for seeking novelty, being open to new experiences. Others are also being researched. Because 95% of chimpanzee and human genes match. Due to the 5% difference, humans become human. These are genes related to abstract thought, conceptual thought, and symbolic thought. Unlike animals, humans are created with a desire for immortality and permanence. This feeling is the greatest proof of the existence of life after death. Whether we believe it or not, there is life after death. Since there is life after death, this life has meaning.'
'The heart connects with universal energy through chemicals entering it from the brain'
Stating that the database in the universe is expressed by the concept of 'Lawh-i Mahfuz' in the Quran, Tarhan made striking evaluations about the creation phase of the universe, death, and the brain-heart connection. Tarhan said; 'After a person dies, there is a time break in physics; it is said that after death, one transitions to another dimension. We are currently in a different energy band; after death, we will transition to a different energy band. There is an energy database in the universe, and above the energy database, there is a digital database. The equivalent of the digital database in the Holy Quran is the main book where all information is preserved. The equivalent of the digital database in the Holy Quran is Lawh-i Mahfuz. The literal meaning of Lawh-i Mahfuz is the main book. With God, knowledge, energy, matter, and living beings were created in order. It is logical to explain death as a time break within such a hierarchy. After death, we die physically, but like the death of a computer, it starts working again the moment it is plugged in. Electricity here is life, and the soul is a software program. What actually 'kills' a computer is the killing of its software. If it's connected to the internet, it has its own software. When a person dies, their software is gone. The connection between matter and soul is broken. Al-Azhar University has a fatwa stating that brain death is real death. Because in brain death, the heart works, but the brain dies. The heart is actually a machine, an engine. The real center is the brain. Through chemicals entering the heart from the brain, the heart connects with universal energy. The heart is a mechanical entity. The soul is the software in our brain. The software is already the brain now.'
'Our mind, not our brain, makes decisions'
Stating that the existence of God can be scientifically proven, Tarhan conveyed that everything questioned falls within the scope of science. Tarhan said; 'In neuroscience, an experiment involving p300 and p400 waves is conducted on a person. If the person answers yes to a question, they are asked to press a white light. When they say yes, the p300 wave appears in 30 milliseconds. When they say no, the p500 wave appears in 50 milliseconds. This means that the brain reacts more quickly to negative things. Our brain is more sensitive to threats. The decision-making mechanism is not our brain, but the mind located above our brain. There is another brain above our brain. The brain I am referring to is the quantum brain. In other words, we have a parallel brain above our quantum brain, and it functions as the mind. Neuroscientists and those working in psychiatry and psychology published the 'Materialist Manifesto' in America in 2014. I recommend reading the post-materialism manifesto on our website. I can also call it the manifesto of the end of materialism. Science is no longer solely materialist. If you can question the existence of God, that also falls within the scope of science. If you say 'I don't question it, it's a belief,' then it's not science. Everything that can be questioned is within the scope of science. Verses and the Holy Quran can also be questioned. When reading, it is beneficial to read it through the eyes of a creator who created this universe from scratch. Not as if it were written by a builder or an inventor. Reading it as a power that can create everything from scratch can evoke the thought in you of 'what might it want from me?'
'The existence of God is proven by probability calculations'
Humans have a search for meaning. Those without a search for meaning live their lives poorly. They fall into drug use and resort to bad things. Humanity deceives itself to avoid facing the truth. Modernism deceives people, they deceive us in the face of truth. It covers the truth with heedlessness and deception. Probability calculations are currently the most used method in medicine. With probability calculations, we can find out whether a drug's benefit or harm will be greater, with percentages given as 80-90%. Evidence is reached through probability calculations. When you reach evidence with mathematical calculations using probability calculations, the proof of a single creator's existence becomes the highest probability. God is reached through probability calculations. In the book 'Journey from Mind to Heart,' I gave considerable space to the Straight A Model and the matchstick logic. We can reach God through probability calculations. A village cannot exist without a headman. A letter cannot exist without a scribe. How can this vast universe be without a headman, without a master, and without an owner? We need to ponder this.