Is the Soul-Body Junction the Prefrontal Cortex?

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan discussed the topic of "Emotional Balance" on the program "Prof. Nevzat Tarhan’la Akla Kapı", broadcast on Dost TV and Dost FM. Stating that individuals with mood disorders cannot manage their emotions, Tarhan emphasized that emotions vary across cultures. Highlighting that emotional wisdom is the most crucial ability distinguishing humans from other living beings, he noted that the brain's frontal region regulates emotions. Stressing that spiritual maturation has a neurological counterpart, Tarhan said that "God governs both the material and spiritual worlds through the prefrontal cortex."

"Individuals with mood disorders are those who cannot manage their emotions"

Explaining the characteristics of individuals with mood disorders, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that
"Individuals with mood disorders are those who cannot manage their emotions. Their moods fluctuate significantly. They are unpredictable. You cannot foresee their actions. They are emotionally inconsistent and unstable. The only stable thing about them is their instability. That is their only consistency. Such individuals are very dangerous, particularly in marriage. This personality type, known as borderline personality disorder, causes the most harm in relationships. They might say to their spouse, 'I hate you!' but then immediately follow with, 'Do not leave me.' They can experience two extreme emotions simultaneously. You cannot tell whether they are angry or sad. It is complete emotional instability."

"Emotions vary by culture"

Tarhan pointed out that emotions change according to culture and made the following remarks: "Emotions vary by culture. That is why I felt the need to write my book 'The Psychology of Emotions.' I wanted to interpret emotions within a cultural context. I explored questions like, 'What are positive and negative emotions, and how do we manage them? How do the left brain, right brain, and prefrontal cortex function?' Our brain categorizes emotions as positive and negative. For example, some consider joy to be a positive emotion. In American culture, openly expressing happiness is seen as a good thing, and  they celebrate like children over small joys. However, in Eastern cultures, such exaggerated displays of joy are not considered appropriate. This classification of emotions as positive or negative changes based on culture and individual perspective. That is why I felt the need to write about 'emotion states unique to our culture.'"

"Every emotion represents a specific chemical reaction in our brain"

Highlighting that autistic individuals have low emotional literacy, Tarhan stated that "Every emotion corresponds to a specific chemical reaction in our brain. These chemicals flood the body, prompting physical responses. Our facial expressions contain micro-mimics. There are even software programs called 'Expressive Faces' that analyze facial expressions. For instance, autistic individuals struggle with facial recognition. Their social and emotional literacy is low. When shown a happy face, they might interpret it as sad. When presented with a surprised expression, they again perceive it as sadness. They cannot recognize emotions. When such individuals attend school, they may not understand jokes that make others laugh. This leads to social exclusion and, consequently, peer bullying. If a child experiences persistent peer bullying, we consider the possibility that they may be 'secretly autistic.' They may not fully meet the criteria for autism, as they often have high logical intelligence and even areas of genius in the brain. However, their social and emotional intelligence tends to be low."

"The greatest danger is the loss of humanity…"

Emphasizing that material prosperity does not equate to happiness, Tarhan remarked that "We are losing our humanity. Today, nuclear threats are considered the greatest danger to the future. However, due to global balances, no one dares to start a nuclear war because they know the consequences. But the biggest danger facing humanity today is not nuclear war; however, it is the loss of our humanity. Divorce rates, violence, crime, depression, and suicide rates are rising. Material wealth is increasing, but happiness is declining."

"Emotions must be sustainable"

Explaining that managing emotions is a process of gaining wisdom, Tarhan expressed that  "The most critical ability distinguishing humans from other living beings is the ability to manage emotions, that is, emotional wisdom. Emotional wisdom emerges when emotions are added to thoughts. Without emotions, thoughts do not translate into actions. When emotions are combined with thoughts, they become beliefs. If these beliefs are sustained, they form character. If they last for more than six months, they become personality traits. Therefore, emotions must be sustainable. They need to persist for at least six months. This is the process of human wisdom."

"Regulating emotions is the job of the brain’s prefrontal cortex"

Stating that everything in the world operates within a system of laws, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized the cause-and-effect relationships governing everything. Tarhan stated that "Regulating emotions is the job of the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Our brain contains the limbic system, which is the emotional center of the brain that is essentially, the brain’s heart. This is where fear, anger, hatred, and all emotions are processed. The brain has around 140 billion nerve cells, and the heart has 40,000 to 50,000 cells related to emotions. These communicate with each other. The heart is also interconnected. God has linked our emotions to our bodies through a system of laws. Everything in the world functions within a legal system, interconnected through cause-and-effect relationships."

"If a person maintains the balance between hope and fear, they stay on the right path"

Explaining that the prefrontal cortex maintains the balance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, Tarhan said that "For our emotions to develop, we need both positive and negative emotions. In the Quran, what is referred to as ‘evil misgivings’ represents negative emotions. These emotions have a measurable neurological basis in the brain, as do positive emotions. One part of the brain desires positive emotions, while another part seeks negative ones. The prefrontal cortex maintains the balance. The left brain is associated with logic, reasoning, analysis, speech, and calculation. The right brain is linked to emotions, excitement, music, art, and holistic thinking. The left brain takes a point-by-point approach, while the right brain sees the bigger picture. The left brain is considered masculine, and the right brain is seen as feminine. The prefrontal cortex balances these two sides. A prefrontal cortex that says, 'I know everything' is an arrogant brain, which can easily go astray. A person’s overall success is only determined at the end of their life. One cannot say, 'I am successful.' Instead, one should say, 'I am successful right now, but I do not know if I will be successful in five years.' If a person maintains the balance between hope and fear, they do not stray from the right path. Their brain then makes correct decisions. Such individuals seem to receive a kind of universal assistant, and this is called creative thinking. To achieve this, one must first dream emotionally."

"God governs both the material and spiritual worlds through the prefrontal cortex"

Discussing the relationship between spiritual maturation and the prefrontal cortex, Tarhan concluded his remarks as follows: "Spiritual maturation has a neurological counterpart. This is known as frontal lobe training. What we call frontal lobe training is actually spiritual maturation. God governs both the material and spiritual worlds through the prefrontal cortex, that is, through our forelocks. There is even a verse about this in the Quran: 'We will lead those who do evil by their forelocks.' In other words, those who do good naturally follow the path of righteousness. The forelock refers to the frontal region. This is the part of the brain connected to universal energy. One of the strongest pieces of evidence for this is the famous Elliott case in the scientific literature."

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)