Ramadan is a time to do a psychological SWOT analysis!

Describing Ramadan as a process of psychological renewal, psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, “If we can make a shift in meaning in our lives during Ramadan and sustain it after Ramadan, we can make this transformation permanent.”

Emphasizing that in Ramadan we should fast not only with our stomach but also with our emotions, Prof. Tarhan stated that Ramadan can be seen as a period for conducting a kind of psychological SWOT analysis. Tarhan said, “In a person’s inner structure there are different faculties such as conscience, the ego, reason, the heart, and the spirit. If we can discipline all of these spiritual elements, Ramadan turns into a month of renewal and spiritual enlightenment for us.”

President of Üsküdar University, psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the spiritual and psychological dimension of Ramadan.

Ramadan is an opportunity to review meaning

Drawing attention to the meaning Ramadan carries from a psychiatric perspective, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan used the following statements: “Apart from my personal view, Ramadan has this meaning psychiatrically: There are times in human life when one must say ‘stop, think, start again.’ This is an opportunity to start again. In fact, this is one of the basic rules of innovation and entrepreneurship, the 15 percent rule. If a person works on something for 10 hours, they should spend 1.5 hours thinking about what they have done, thinking about what they have thought, and going through self-criticism and inner self accounting, and then make a new adjustment as a result. It is, in a sense, like declaring a moratorium. During this time, many things are put on the table and reconsidered. Ramadan also offers a similar opportunity in a person’s life journey. Out of 12 months, treating one month as an inner journey gives a person a chance to understand themselves, to look at their routine actions from different angles, to bring new perspectives, to add new meanings, and to question their life. In other words, we can call Ramadan an opportunity to review meaning.”

“A reset applied to our soul”

Defining Ramadan as a process of spiritual renewal, Prof. Tarhan pointed out that the brain is a center where patterns of emotion, thought, and values are recorded, and he said: “Describing it as a reset applied to our soul is very important here. How does it happen? In the human inner world, our brain is the intermediary organ between our world of meaning and the material world. Our patterns of emotion, thought, behavior, and values, our value judgments, are recorded and written in the brain. There are life scripts we have learned since childhood. Within the last year, new actors have entered our lives, new patterns of thought have emerged, and new threats and opportunities have appeared. We need to analyze these again.”

Ramadan is a period for doing a psychological SWOT analysis

Stating that Ramadan can be considered a period for conducting a kind of psychological SWOT analysis, Prof. Tarhan said: “In brainstorming work there is a recommended method, called SWOT analysis. While doing this, a person evaluates themselves from a different angle, almost as if with a third eye. They identify their strengths and weaknesses and clarify their purpose. After determining their purpose, they analyze the threats they may face and the opportunities they have while moving toward that goal. Such evaluations are carried out in many vision meetings, at the institutional level and within formal practices. The month of Ramadan offers a similar possibility for a person. From the perspective of the life journey, Ramadan can be considered a special period in which a person can conduct a psychological SWOT analysis of their own life.”

“Fasting begins with intention”

Stating that Ramadan is not only a process of physical hunger and that its real meaning begins with intention, Prof. Tarhan continued: “For example, if a person directs questions to themselves such as ‘How correct is what I do? To what extent do I serve my goals? Am I moving forward with the right strategy? Are there mistakes I make without realizing?’ and evaluates Ramadan as an opportunity to think again about the meaning and purpose of their life, then this period goes beyond being only a hunger regimen. Fasting observed without knowing its meaning remains only a practice of hunger. Of course, this is not entirely without return either. There are findings that when the body remains hungry for a certain period, it contributes to the repair of DNA damage. So there are bodily benefits as well. However, the real value of Ramadan begins with intention. In Anatolia, being asked ‘Do you have intention?’ for Ramadan is very meaningful. Because intention lies at the foundation of Ramadan fasting.”

Drawing attention to the presence of intention in Ramadan and in prayer, Prof. Tarhan said, “There is intention in Ramadan, there is intention in prayer. And why is there intention? Because these are the times when a person establishes a bond with Allah. These are the periods when a person turns their heart toward their Lord. These are days when they evaluate the purpose of existence and reconsider the test process they are going through in accordance with their existence,” he said.

Old Ramadans are the Ramadan of our childhood

Stating that Ramadan contributes to social peace, Prof. Tarhan said: “According to a study conducted by Bakırköy Mental and Neurological Diseases Hospital, about 50 percent of individuals who use alcohol and substances take a break from these habits during Ramadan. A rate as high as 50 percent presents a striking picture. Indeed, when crime rates in prisons are examined, it is seen that about 60 percent of cases are related to alcohol and substance use. The decrease in alcohol and substance use during Ramadan also positively affects family relationships. It is stated that peace increases at home and communication and harmony among family members grow stronger. For this reason, children remember and miss Ramadan days as a warmer, calmer, and more peaceful period. Because making children happy is good, meritorious, and beautiful. Doing good is encouraged. With this effect, human beings have recorded Ramadan in their brains with beautiful memories. We refer to the Ramadan in children as ‘old Ramadan,’ but in fact we are, without realizing it, referring to the Ramadan of our own childhood through a subconscious mechanism.”

“Ramadan is psychological resilience training”

Stating that Ramadan is a form of endurance training, Prof. Tarhan continued: “In a sense, Ramadan is a training period for human beings. This period is like a special month during which a person works on themselves and practices strengthening their psychological resilience. It is a process that provides endurance training, develops the ability to delay desires, and strengthens the sense of social empathy. Empathy is one of the most fundamental social emotions. It is the ability to understand the feelings of others. Indeed, it is known that empathy lessons are taught in schools in Denmark. The purpose of these lessons is to prevent children from growing into selfish individuals. Instead of raising people who think only about their own interests, the aim is to raise individuals who can establish a balance between personal benefit and social benefit.

In this respect, Ramadan is also a social month. Through the experience of hunger, a person better understands those in need and realizes that doing good is an act of worship. The understanding that ‘every act of kindness is charity’ reflects a belief perspective that even considers greeting someone or offering a smile as a good deed. Therefore, the month of Ramadan represents a period in which souls mature, develop, and evolve. Of course, this can only happen if Ramadan is lived in accordance with its true meaning.”

Two fundamental illnesses of the age: Selfishness and worldliness

Addressing tendencies toward social selfishness and worldliness, Prof. Tarhan said: However, it is possible to speak of two fundamental illnesses of the age we live in. One is selfishness and the other is worldliness. These two tendencies weaken a person’s spiritual resources and narrow their inner depth. A person with a selfish perspective often sees everyone as indebted to them and always prioritizes their own interests. They act with a mindset of ‘me first,’ and may even state that they could leave their closest ones behind if necessary. This approach leads to the spread of a human type in which the sense of self-sacrifice has weakened. In the past, psychiatric practice encountered more individuals who were excessively self-sacrificing, neglecting themselves, almost turning themselves into a doormat. Today, however, it is more common to work with individuals displaying selfish and narcissistic traits.”

Silent acts of kindness should be practiced during Ramadan

Emphasizing that acts of kindness during Ramadan should first be carried out quietly, Prof. Tarhan said: “The charity stones that still exist in Üsküdar today are a reflection of this understanding. Neither the giver nor the receiver sees each other. Similar practices also exist in Anatolian tradition. During Ramadan, a person may go to the neighborhood grocery store, pay off the debts written in the credit ledger, and count it as part of their almsgiving.” In contrast, Prof. Tarhan emphasized that when today’s global system is examined, a mindset dominated by the idea of “you work, I benefit” becomes noticeable. “There is an approach that prefers living off income generated through rent seeking investments without labor. Alongside this, the mentality of ‘as long as it does not affect me, I do not care’ is also widespread. There is a perspective that says, ‘Even if others starve, as long as I am full it does not concern me.’ Ramadan offers an important opportunity to question this system and this mentality,” he said.

We can make a change of meaning in our lives during Ramadan

Stating, “If we can make a change of meaning in our lives during Ramadan and continue it afterward, we can make this transformation permanent,” Prof. Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: “For this reason, we should fast not only with our stomach but also with our emotions. In the human spiritual structure, there are different faculties such as conscience, the ego, reason, the heart, and the spirit. If we can discipline all of these spiritual elements, Ramadan becomes a month of renewal and spiritual enlightenment for us. Being able to continue life after Ramadan in a more positive way becomes possible by understanding the divine purpose. The commandment of Ramadan in the Qur'an is not intended merely to make people experience hunger. One must reflect on what the divine purpose is and question what destiny expects from a person during this process. When a person uses their reason, they can discover this meaning. Every individual has a unique life purpose and roadmap. What matters is being able to draw that roadmap correctly.”