Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, attended the seminar titled “Psychology of Belief,” organized in collaboration with Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Risale-i Nur Institute, and Şekercihan Association. Speaking at the seminar, Tarhan noted that one should look not only at the material dimension of things but also at their meaning dimension. Answering the question of whether the world is getting worse, Tarhan added that he is hopeful about Generation Z. Stating that both good and evil will increase, Tarhan expressed that goodness has unseen helpers. Tarhan, who stated that good intentions and effort will not go unrewarded, said, ‘There is no despair, there are despairing people.’
The “Psychology of Belief” seminar, organized by Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Risale-i Nur Institute, and Şekercihan Association, took place at the Çarşı Campus Emir Nebi Conference Hall.
“Looking not only at the material dimension, but also at the meaning dimension…”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, drawing attention to the importance of a spirituality-focused understanding instead of materialism, said; “In the past, it was thought that the Earth stood in the center and the sun revolved around it. Later, it was understood that the Earth revolves around the sun. This was a change in scientific perspective. However, the change mentioned here is more significant than that: spirituality instead of materialism. It’s a spirituality-centered, meaning-centered perspective, instead of a materialism-centered understanding of the universe. The word ‘maneviyat’ (spirituality) is derived from ‘mana’ (meaning). ‘Mana’ means meaning, and ‘maneviyat’ means semanticism or meaningfulness. This means looking not only at the material dimension of something but also at its meaning dimension. Currently, materialism represents a scientific approach that deals with meaning by its name. However, semantics (meaning sciences) deal with meaning by its letter. Many scientific perspectives in developed countries have realized this…”
“A transformation is happening in this paradigm”
Tarhan, giving an example from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, said; “In the classical approach, the highest human need is identified as self-actualization. At the bottom of the pyramid are physiological needs, safety needs, and belongingness and love needs. These are followed by cognitive development, aesthetic needs, and self-actualization. However, in the later years of his life, in the 1970s, Maslow added a new need to this pyramid, defining it as ‘self-transcendence.’ This expresses spiritual needs and the requirement to help others, and Maslow placed these at the very top of the hierarchy of human psychosocial needs. This view was published in an article in 2017. However, the capitalist system prioritizes selfishness by encouraging global competition and narcissism for self-actualization. Nietzsche also states that helping others is associated with the culture of charity and that this would increase operational costs. Nietzsche claims that humility is underdevelopment. This view has been one of the philosophical cornerstones of materialism. A transformation is happening in this paradigm.”
What are the paths leading to truth?
Tarhan, speaking about the paths to truth, said; “Types of belief are very diverse. Everyone has a belief, and one of the paths to truth is belief. However, among beliefs, there are also mythological ones. These are beliefs that people accept regardless of their actual existence. Another type is concrete beliefs; these beliefs are related to our five senses, and for example, when a person says ‘I believe in science,’ this is a concrete belief. Because science is about proof and evidence. Moral beliefs, on the other hand, are beliefs that are considered morally correct but whose reality is not questioned. These types of beliefs arise from the human need to be moral, and their justification is usually not sought. They are also found in traditional teachings. Then there are rational beliefs, which are based on logic, reasoning, and rules of inference to believe in the existence of an abstract being and experimental reality. The belief in Tawhid (Oneness of God) is an example of this. That is, if there is a creator in the universe, it is the most suitable belief that can be found through reasoning. Other beliefs are less suitable for reason. For example, nature pantheism is not reasonable. Especially after quantum mechanics, it is not possible at all. So, what are the paths leading to truth? These include experiment and observation, reasoning methods, and scientific methodology. Experiment and observation are the basis of a scientific approach, but only one path. Other methods include reasoning methods such as deduction, induction, analogy, and abduction. For example, theoretical physics emerged with these methods.”
“With rational belief, we can find the existence of Allah and the afterlife”
Tarhan, stating that those with rational belief can find Allah, said; “Rational intuition is a probability logic related to modal logic; they call it modality logic. So, there are three different universes regarding how something is: the actual universe, the possible universe, and the probable universe. The actual universe is the one we are living in now. For the possible universe, for example, is there a possibility of an earthquake here? Yes, it’s possible but not probable. Because if there had been an earthquake a few days ago, we couldn’t be standing here now; we would be outside in a tent. According to this modal logic, there are three different universe categories: actual universe, possible universe, and probable universe. Meteorology also makes predictions and calculations based on this modal logic. This logic can be calculated mathematically. In rational logic, there is Fuzzy logic, which is the logic used by artificial intelligence. Fuzzy logic is the calculated version of modal logic; they call it fuzzy logic. Artificial intelligence also works with this logic. While classical Newtonian physics says black or white, yes or no, quantum physics, which works with fuzzy logic, doesn't say ‘cold’ and ‘hot’; it says there are graded things like slightly hot, slightly cold, and performs these calculations. Similarly, with rational belief, we can find the existence of Allah and the afterlife. When you look at the works of Risale-i Nur, on topics like evolution, they don't say, ‘Evolution is wrong, this is science.’ They use reasoning methods to say, ‘Allah must exist, there must be an afterlife.’ Risale-i Nur reaches these conclusions using fuzzy logic and modal logic.”
Humans are both conscious and aware of being conscious…
Tarhan, speaking about metacognitive genes, said; “There is a gene that distinguishes humans from other living beings: metacognitive genes. These genes exist in humans but not in other living beings. These are related to the search for meaning, allowing us to pursue questions like ‘Why am I here? Where am I going? Why am I seeking an absolute and unlimited freedom?’ These exist in humans but not in other living beings. Other living beings are not conscious. They are not even conscious of being unconscious, but humans are both conscious and aware of being conscious. So why? DNA is an inanimate thing. How does a living consciousness emerge from inanimate DNA? How do you bring atoms together to form a body, and consciousness arises? Moreover, this consciousness does not change. For example, the atoms in our body change in our skin in 20 days, and in our entire body in 5-6 months. We become completely new materially, but our consciousness remains the same. You can transfer data from one computer to another, but a person’s ‘self-consciousness’ cannot be transferred elsewhere. It remains the same until death.”
“The inner peace that belief provides comes into play here”
Tarhan, emphasizing that the genes for the search for meaning guide people to find Allah, said; “Humankind lives in a state of heedlessness; interestingly, they don't think about death. This is actually a disease, the disease of worldliness, the disease of Vehn. The fear of death, the awareness of death exists in humans, but it also spoils all the joy of life. Therefore, it is very difficult for a person who does not prepare for the afterlife to live this life. They can only live in heedlessness. Think about it, you will die, and after death, worms will eat you underground. What a bitter truth. The end for all of us is our bodies becoming food for worms. This is inevitable. If you don't believe in the soul, you ignore this truth, but when you believe in the soul, you understand that the body is merely a trust, and since the essence is the soul, you surrender. The inner peace that belief provides comes into play here. There is one more gene; research has been done on it, but it has not yet been proven. Human love for the perfect, the beautiful, and the powerful, and valuing abstract things, might be related to these genes. For example, humans love perfection, `kemal`. They love beauty, `cemal`. They love power, `celal`. They even love the infinite, `beka`. These are in the Esma-ul Husna (99 Names of Allah). Kemal, Cemal, Celal, and Beka. Allah has given humans a genetic counterpart to these names. These genes actually guide us to find Allah. These are what we call the genes for the search for meaning. We were not created just to eat, drink, and procreate. We have higher characteristics: reason and consciousness. Activating these genes is very important for us.”
“Muslims have a blindness similar to corporate blindness”
Tarhan, stating that the Quran should be viewed from the correct perspective, said; “Now, if you ask someone, ‘What introduces Allah to us?’ they usually say two things: the Holy Quran and the noble Hadiths, meaning the life of the Messenger of Allah. True, these two explain Allah to us, but there is a third thing: the book of the universe. We do not read the book of the universe. The Holy Quran is not like this, but we do not look at it with this perspective. Muslims have a blindness, just like corporate blindness that develops in employees who work in a company for a long time. That is, they cannot see the Holy Quran as it is; they cannot look at it through the lens of the book of the universe. Whereas, when they look at it through the lens of the book of the universe, it would be much easier for them to find Allah. The real issue here is how the universe was created and to look at the book of the universe with this perspective. This is exactly the paradigm developed by Risale-i Nur. When you bring this perspective to science, especially those involved in positive sciences understand Bediüzzaman Hazretleri much better.”
“According to Bediüzzaman, three critical variables…”
Tarhan, drawing attention to the global increase in narcissism, said; “According to Bediüzzaman, there are three critical variables and two dreadful states. The first is secularism, secularism as a way of life, meaning worldliness. The second is narcissism; this is actually related to the rise of one’s feeling of arrogance. And the third is materialism. Ignorance that threatens social and spiritual life. Its counterpart used to come from ignorance; now it comes from science. Narcissism is increasing globally. Bediüzzaman called this the disease of worldliness, the disease of narcissism, the disease of selfishness. What is this? He calls it an addiction to civilization fantasies. Secularism, narcissism, and materialism. We need to find a remedy for these three diseases. The two dreadful states are, firstly, the human emotions overcoming reason and thought, and secondly, the threat to religious life coming not from ignorance but from knowledge.”
Humanity's four basic anxieties
Tarhan, speaking about existential fears according to Yalom, said; “Yalom talks about four existential fears. All of these are related to the theory of the human mind. The search for freedom, the search for meaning, the fear of death, and the fear of loneliness. These four make a person depressed. These are humanity’s four basic anxieties. If a person cannot find answers to these, they cannot be happy. Here, modernism is experiencing a crisis of civilization. Hedonism, narcissism, lack of empathy, loneliness, excessive ambition, unhappiness, depression, suicide. Currently, this crisis is the biggest one experienced by the West.”
“There is no despair, there are despairing people…”
Tarhan answered a question about young people reportedly getting worse and worse, saying; “Generation Z is criticized for being self-centered, but I am hopeful; I trust their lovable, innocent, and just stance. Young people attach great importance to the sense of justice. Both good and evil will increase, but goodness has unseen helpers; if you have good intentions and effort, it will not go unrewarded, and its name is sincerity. Don't be pessimistic, don't look at it as ‘oh, artificial intelligence, digital authoritarianism is happening, evil is increasing.’ Numbers are not important in such matters. There is no despair, there are despairing people. I trust the just stance of Generation Z, I am hopeful about them…”
Tarhan discussed types of religiosity…
Bringing the topic to conceptions of religiosity and making certain evaluations, Tarhan drew attention to three types of religiosity. Tarhan said; “The first of these is the capitalist religiosity profile. Although performing prayer, they can easily lie; although giving charity, they do not give zakat; although eating with their right hand, they also consume forbidden things; although fasting, they do not keep their promises; although going to the mosque, they do not care about bribery and the rights of others. The second, the wardrobe religiosity profile, is if one torments their spouse at home or speaks against their husband everywhere, treats others, their spouse, and children mercilessly, is not bothered by gossip and backbiting, and when faced with lies, forbidden things, or the rights of others, says ‘worldly is separate, otherworldly is separate,’ then it is a wardrobe religiosity profile. They are formally religious with their clothing. The third is the heedless religiosity profile. They are well-intentioned but tell white lies, are unaware that they love the world more than Allah, are unaware that their hidden idols are money, possessions, fame, children, profession, and earthly means, cannot see where their heart is truly attached, and do not live their life in accordance with the divine goal.”
“There are six spiritual diseases”
Tarhan, emphasizing six spiritual diseases, said; “There are six spiritual diseases. These are despair, various types of narcissism, combative intellect, communitarianism, messianic culture, and the normalization of lies. The remedy for these diseases is to know Allah by His attributes, that is, to eliminate the deficiency of `marifatullah` (knowledge of Allah), to make young people feel the inner peace that true faith provides, to take a stand against false religiosity, to acquire the morality of `ikhlas` (sincerity), to experience the inner peace that faith provides, and to live the confidence of connecting with Allah. Bediüzzaman said, ‘Faith necessitates tawhid (unity of God), tawhid necessitates submission, submission necessitates reliance (on God), and reliance necessitates the happiness of both worlds.’