Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan; took part as a speaker at the event titled ‘Çamlıca Meetings on Current Affairs,’ held by ITO Marmara Anatolian Imam Hatip High School with the participation of many experts in their field. Tarhan, who delivered a presentation titled ‘Does Humanity's Brain Provide Clues About the Soul in the Triangle of Soul-Brain-Mind?’, stated that the soul is a software that makes a human being human. Stating that the 21st century will be the ‘Age of Wisdom,’ Tarhan emphasized that those educated with a synthesis of religious and scientific knowledge will have a say in this era. Tarhan said; “The generation of the future will be a generation with a computer in one hand and the Holy Quran in the other. A generation that can well synthesize religious and scientific knowledge will save the future. Generations receiving one-sided education will miss the age in many respects.”
“The generation of the future will have a computer in one hand and the Holy Quran in the other”
Tarhan stated that the 21st century would be the Age of Wisdom, emphasizing that youth who integrate religious and scientific knowledge would be at the forefront in this era. Tarhan; “The 20th century, where Eastern and Western cultures merged, was the age of information; the 21st century will be, and must be, the age of wisdom. The generation of the future will be a generation with a computer in one hand and the Holy Quran in the other. For this reason, you will be one step ahead in this regard. A generation that truly appreciates this, that can well synthesize both, and can well synthesize religious and scientific knowledge will save the future. Generations receiving one-sided education will miss the era in many respects, it seems. Social media was discovered in the 1990s. Between 1990-1994, the internet began to commercialize, and then social isolation emerged. There is a study by the University of Manchester in England on Lipping. The rate of feeling very lonely is 27% among people over 75, and 40% among those aged 16-24. This social isolation continues to increase, and social media usage is excessive. Social media, which I call virtual media because it cuts off socialization and face-to-face contact, will also affect the future.”
“The biggest problem of the West is loneliness”
Tarhan stated that Western societies are experiencing great loneliness due to their egocentric perspective, and that it is meaningless to deal with the result without finding the cause. Tarhan; “Narcissism; the proliferation of self-centered types who see themselves as important and superior. Types who see themselves as gods on earth are multiplying, and the proliferation of these types is not beneficial to humanity. These types are generally exploitative and opportunistic. In a world where these types multiply, there will be no peace. If there is a narcissist in a home, there will be no peace in that home. They always say, 'Let it be as I say,' 'I will eat the best part of the meal,' 'I will sit in the best place.' Narcissism is something that destroys the sense of justice. As a result, such people are not loved, but because they work very hard to be called intelligent and talented, they are not alone when they gain power; they become alone when they lose power. For this reason, the biggest problem of the West has been loneliness. As we head towards such a world, in the USA, 3 young people under 25 die due to AIDS, 6 children commit suicide in a day, 342 children under 18 are arrested for violent crimes, 107 babies are born daily to adolescent mothers—look, every day... 20,833 children drop out of school, 6,042 children are arrested, 135,000 children bring weapons to school. This is the way the world is going; unless we fix the cause, dealing with the result will not benefit us. First, diagnosis, then treatment and follow-up are needed.”
“The Post-Materialist Science Manifesto is an admission of the bankruptcy of materialism”
Tarhan stated that Post-Materialist approaches support new ideas in the world, and said that worldly life is a simulation. Tarhan; “In 2014, two universities in the USA, Arizona and Columbia Universities, held the international summit on Post-Materialist Science, Spirituality, and Society. As a result, the Post-Materialist Science Manifesto was published. Materialism has gone bankrupt; this is its confession. In 2023, Nobel-winning discoveries that seriously break the mold are being made. Quantum Entanglement proved these. This showed the theory of relativity. In fact, it's not matter, but time-based. This also showed the relativity of matter. There is no such thing as matter; there is a wormhole theory, according to which there is no such thing as matter, everything is energy. We think worldly life is real life, but in reality, worldly life is a simulation; we have come here from the realm of souls, and we will transition to another energy band. The world is a simulation, just like the Metaverse. It's an exam simulation; we have entered, we are living, if we choose good, we will be good; if we choose evil, we will be among the evil. At the end of our lives, whatever we have filled our satchel with will confront us. As Rumi also said; ‘We are not living in the world, we are passing through the world.’ ”
“There is a soul program, a software in humans”
Tarhan, drawing attention to the soul program that makes a human being human, stated that the religion of Islam can be found through reason. Tarhan; “Secularism says the purpose of life is to pursue pleasure. It says, 'Abandon everything, supernatural powers will protect you.' Tolstoy says, ‘I am looking for a meaning in life that awaits me, is inevitable, and can abolish death.’ But monotheistic religions here say, ‘Do not forget existence, do not lose hope, use your mind, and nothing is coincidental.’ Monotheistic religions convey the message that you are in a test and should look at life through this lens. Prophet Abraham, by looking at life this way, and by looking at celestial bodies, finally says, ‘My God must be my creator.’ In this way, he finds Allah. There are 3 sources that introduce Allah to us: the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and the book of the universe. When we read the book of the universe, we can find Allah in everything. Science is currently helping us in this regard. Therefore, we can achieve this by using our minds. Where is our soul located? The brain secretes chemicals, but there is a consciousness above the brain; Quantum consciousness. The brain is an intermediary between the world of meaning and the world of matter. The Quantum consciousness above our brain is just like a computer. A computer has electronic circuits like our brain. It also has software; if you remove the software from the computer, not even 1 gram will be missing, nothing is lost when we delete it. Similarly, there is a soul program in humans, which is a software, and that soul program makes a human being human. Every living thing has its own small program, but humans are born psychologically premature. A duck starts swimming immediately after hatching from an egg. Humans start walking at 1 year old and become capable of managing themselves at 15 years old. Humans must develop themselves, must develop by learning, and can develop themselves socially.”
“The reason we call the 21st century the Age of Wisdom is that this wisdom is the wisdom of the Quran”
Tarhan stated that there is moral decay in the world and that the 21st century will see a return to the wisdom of the Quran. Tarhan; “Currently, there is social narcissism in the world. There are 2 billion people in Africa who do not have access to clean water. The reason for migrations is not poverty; the reason for migrations from Africa and South America is that people are experiencing injustice and lawlessness in their own countries, and also, people are moving to alleviate their concerns about the future. Therefore, what will solve social peace is the end of narcissism. Narcissism is something that disrupts social life. As it increases, humanity will decline. When we look at the institutions of prophethood, prophets waged their greatest struggle against selfishness. If you look at the religion of Islam, and all the Sufi teachings within Islam, they all begin with the discipline of the ego. Disciplining oneself, disciplining one's ego and desires, is actually the greatest progress and maturation for a human being. The reason Indonesia became Muslim is good morals. Therefore, the most beautiful method of representing Islam is Tawhid (oneness of God). It is not a conference or a sermon, but representation. When we set a good example, when good morals show good results, the whole world needs these good morals. That is why the reason we call the 21st century the Age of Wisdom is that this wisdom is the wisdom of the Quran. We will see this; perhaps we may not see it, but hopefully, you will.”
“The days when Westerners will loudly proclaim Islam are near”
Tarhan stated that there is a search for truth all over the world and predicted that the Islamic perspective would rise from the Western world. Tarhan; “In an era with so much truth, I believe the days are approaching when brilliant minds, not so much from the Islamic world but from the West, will emerge and loudly proclaim Islam. There is a serious inclination to search for truth, and current Western philosophy, materialistic philosophy, is not satisfying. There is a new quest. In our ability to explain the truth of Tawhid, it all comes down to a quote from Hegel: ‘Everything that is rational is real. Everything that is real is rational.’ There is nothing in the Holy Quran that is not rational. Some ask about destiny and the afterlife. You cannot explain destiny and the afterlife to a person without correcting their conception of God. I liken this to not being able to explain advanced mathematics without basic mathematics. A person who doesn’t know a slide rule cannot understand integrals. Similarly, when the conception of God in one’s mind is explained rationally and in accordance with the belief in Tawhid, it becomes clear that the subject of the afterlife in the Holy Quran, the subject of miracles, and all the hadiths in the life of the Prophet are rational. First, there must be a conception of Allah that is in accordance with the belief in Tawhid.”
