Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan states that people in our era need rational faith, emphasizing that faith is one of a person's most natural needs. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that prayer has both psychological and physical benefits, said, “When a person prays, thinking ‘I am not alone, there is someone who knows my needs, someone who hears my voice, someone who will be a remedy for my troubles,’ and takes refuge in them, a state of well-being emerges.” Tarhan, also drawing attention to the pleasure-peace balance, added that peace is the best antidepressant…
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, made evaluations regarding the month of Ramadan, prayer, worship, and well-being.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that humans, unlike other living beings, possess consciousness, said, “Other living beings do not question their existence; they do not have free will. There is no consciousness or conscious identity, but humans have consciousness. Consciousness is superior even to intellect. There is soul, there is intellect, and above that, there is consciousness. It asks questions like: Who am I? Where should I turn? Why should I turn? Why do I exist, why do I live? Does eternity have an end? What will I do at the end of life? When examining the genetic codes and behavioral psychology of other living beings apart from humans, they are quite peaceful when their stomachs are full and their basic needs are met. If a lion is full, it sleeps for 15 hours. It hunts and sleeps again. It only becomes restless and acts when it is hungry. The most important thing that drives all living beings is hunger, but hunger is not the only thing that drives humans.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that humans are beings who dream, said, “Humans dream, create future projections. They set goals, try to achieve them, and their expectations are high. The more they have, the more they want.”
Gratitude is positive prayer
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that worship and prayer are a necessity for humans, saying, “Without a need, demand does not arise. A person must have a need related to nature for them to pray. Such prayers are generally the prayers of an average person, and this is called negative prayer. In negative prayer, a person prays when they are in trouble. They pray when they are in need. The ideal prayer is for a person to always be grateful for what they have. This is called going from bounty to believer, meaning going from bounty to the Giver of bounty. Gratitude is prayer. Look at the Holy Quran; the most frequently mentioned word is 'hamd' (praise). It is to praise Allah. This is actually a prayer. For example, when a person sits and drinks a tea or drinks cold water in hot weather, to praise at that moment, that is a prayer. These prayers are positive prayers.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that there has never been a period as ungrateful in human history as the one we are currently in, stating, “Modernity has raised humanity's expectation levels. By constantly saying 'more and more,' as the expectation level in humans rises, their need to seek help also decreases. But what did Covid-19 do? It turned everything upside down. It shook us up. Covid-19 seems likely to cause a very serious transformation. For those who take the right position, it will be a reason to renew themselves.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that prayer involves a person knowing the value of what they have and realizing it, saying, “We define this situation as post-traumatic growth. There are also high prayers. These are prayers made in someone's absence. For example, a mother praying for her child, a child for their parents, for relatives, for loved ones. This is one of the beautiful teachings of our religion. It is said that three records do not close after a person dies. One is for those who teach knowledge; as people benefit from it, their book of good deeds does not close. It is written even after their death. The second is for those who establish lasting charities; our ancestors established many such things. Fountains, caravanserais, endowments, etc., they did these purely with the intention of being remembered fondly after their death, without any worldly thoughts. The third is for a righteous child, where the record of a righteous child for the parents does not close even after the parents' death. The good deeds done by that child are also written for the mother and father. All of these are prayers that fall within the scope of our prayer.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also stated that there are bad prayers, which are curses, and that these prayers are made for the harm of others, adding that these prayers sometimes come true.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that prayer has both physiological and psychological benefits, saying, “Prayer has psychological benefits. When a person prays, thinking ‘I am not alone, there is someone who knows my needs, someone who hears my voice, someone who will be a remedy for my troubles, someone who approaches me with mercy, someone who is all-powerful, someone who is very generous and hospitable’ and takes refuge in them, a state of well-being emerges.”
Experiment on Buddhist monks revealed physiological effects
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that there are also experimental studies revealing the physiological benefits of prayer, and said the following:
“Experiments are being conducted on Buddhist monks regarding meditation. This experiment is also one of the experiments that revolutionized psychology in the 90s. 256 electrodes are attached to the Buddhist monk's head. What happens in the brain during full meditation? Which region of the brain becomes active, what does the person feel at that moment—all these are observed. What does that person experience during that meditative act? For example, sema (whirling dervishes) is also a form of meditation. The rituals in Sufism are also forms of meditation. During those meditations, when a person enters a meditative depth or trance, three characteristics emerge. First, the person feels as if all their questions have been answered. Second, they feel as if all their desires have been met. Third, they feel as if all their needs have been satisfied. These three characteristics emerge. At that moment, areas related to happiness in the brain become active, and at that moment, along with pleasure, one feels that the boundaries of a large personality disappear. This is also very important.”
A person feels safe when they realize they are not alone
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that when personality boundaries disappear, a person feels they are a part of a greater power, saying, “When a child says, ‘I am a part of my mother,’ they feel safe. A child fears something, even fears being beaten by their mother, but takes refuge in their mother and relaxes. This is the psychological benefit of prayer. When a person feels they are not alone, they create a safe space within their inner world. They develop the feeling of ‘I am safe’”.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that studies conducted in Germany, France, and Northern European countries today indicate that close to 50 percent of society does not accept religion, stating that they are deist, saying, “They haven’t experienced a crisis. They’ve always grown up in comfort. These are the baby boomer generation. There was a birth explosion in the world after World War II, which is why that generation is called so. It refers to the generation born between 1946 and 1964, after World War II. Because that generation obtained many things easily, such a situation arose. They think they don't need God, but when they feel alone, they can't find a solution this time. That's why the UK established a Ministry of Loneliness in 2018. Japan newly established one on March 3, 2021.”
Humans need rational faith…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that in our age, people are looking for a refuge, saying, “Then only one thing remained to take refuge in: Tawhid (Oneness of God). That's why we need rational faith. We need faith that is compatible with reason. If there is rational faith, people will then overcome loneliness, but someone who does not have rational faith cannot pray anyway. They cannot, why would they? They only pray when a plane is crashing, or in a bad situation, and that is already a last resort prayer.”
“Peace is the best antidepressant…”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that today, Islam is moving away from its essence, saying, “Currently, we have sanctified Islam. We have sanctified the form of Islam. We need to be true Muslims. That comes with morality. Worship is the form, the envelope. The content is morality. The essence of morality is prayer. The essence of prayer is intention. The essence of servitude is also prayer. If our intention is to say, ‘There is a power that created us, the universe, hears me, knows me, can help me,’ then the pleasure it gives transforms into peace. Modernity sedates with the pleasure it provides through materialism. You find pleasure in competing with it. For pleasure to turn into peace, it is absolutely necessary to see that this pleasure is sustainable. It must be seen as permanent. This can only happen with the belief in Tawhid (Oneness of God). A pleasure that will not disappear, this pleasure is eternal. The moment one says, ‘There is a power that hears me, knows me, answers all my needs,’ the peace it provides is the best antidepressant.”