The Brain Says “Think Well, Feel Well, Be Well”

DOI:https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.65605

Created at23 December 2025

President of Üsküdar University, psychiatrist and author Prof. Nevzat Tarhan met with his readers at the 42nd TÜYAP International Istanbul Book Fair. In the talk titled “Think Well, Feel Well, Be Well,” Tarhan explained the starting point of his latest book. He stated that the book adopts an approach aimed at protecting human health before illness occurs. Emphasizing that the brain works more through emotions than thoughts, Tarhan drew attention to the importance of the unity of emotion, thought, and behavior in mental health. He noted that developments in artificial intelligence and neuroscience form the scientific foundation of the book and stated that a healthy and peaceful life is possible through conscious awareness. Following the talk, Prof. Tarhan met with readers at a book signing event that attracted great interest.

Held between December 13 and 21, the 42nd International Istanbul Book Fair brought together more than a thousand publishing houses and non-governmental organizations with readers.

In the talk titled “Think Well, Feel Well, Be Well,” moderated by journalist Şaban Özdemir, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan explained the core approach of his latest book.

The talk attracted strong interest from fair visitors.

“We must not miss the artificial intelligence revolution”

Highlighting the scientific transformation related to artificial intelligence and the functioning of the brain, psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said: “Geoffrey Hinton, known as the father of artificial intelligence, received the Nobel Prize in Toronto in 2024. He is a cognitive psychologist, a scientist working in a subfield of neuropsychology. This approach views the brain like a computer and represents a school of psychology based on that perspective. For many years, psychiatrists conducting brain-based studies in this field were underestimated, excluded, and not sufficiently understood. Regarding Hinton’s Nobel Prize, it was said that he received the award because he persistently defended a minority view. Hinton first received the Turing Award in the 1980s for his discoveries on how the brain works. Alan Turing developed the computing machine, and this award is the most prestigious prize in the field. Later, Hinton argued that the brain works through algorithms and provided evidence of the brain’s algorithmic functioning. Following these studies, he received the Nobel Prize together with a geneticist. All of this shows us how the brain works. How do we function, and how is a system developed that imitates this mode of operation by simulating the brain? That system is called artificial intelligence. Today, the world is experiencing an industrial revolution. We missed the industrial revolution that began with the invention of the printing press, but we must not miss the artificial intelligence revolution. Because artificial intelligence is truly a phenomenon that directly affects our future.”

“As we understand the human brain, we will treat diseases more easily”

Explaining the relationship between psychiatric disorders and brain algorithms, Tarhan said: “In our book Think Well, Feel Well, Be Well, we explain that psychiatric disorders, fears, depression, and various difficulties we experience originate from algorithms in the brain, that disrupted brain algorithms need to be corrected, and how this can be done. These issues are addressed in the book through concrete case examples. For example, a person comes in with depression. In this case, there are various fears and different thought disorders. We explain their counterparts in the brain. Then we show how, through certain behaviors, the faulty algorithm in the brain can be replaced with the correct one. When the human brain is about to make a decision or encounters new information, it scans the past. It reviews all previous information. There are emotional radars in the brain that scan, and there are logical and cognitive radars that also scan. Based on all these scans, the brain makes a prediction about the future. In other words, the brain works like a prediction machine. Prediction means quantum physics. The brain operates with quantum physics. This has now been revealed. I have a book titled Psychology of Wisdom. In this book, the neuropsychology of wisdom is examined on a neuroscience basis. This approach combines the two fields we are discussing. As we understand the human brain, we will understand human beings, we will understand existence, and we will treat diseases more easily. In this way, we will also know much better what exactly we are treating.”

“We cannot manage what we do not measure”

Addressing the importance of a protective and preventive health approach, Tarhan said: “The ideal approach is to focus on health medicine. In other words, we need to concentrate on what people should do in order not to become ill. Our book Think Well, Feel Well, Be Well is based precisely on this idea. It is a book that aims to help people remain healthy before they ever need to see a doctor. Of course, case examples of individuals who are already ill are also included in the book. However, through these case examples, readers can derive insights and advantages that allow them to reach a level of self management. For this reason, when the practices in the book reveal the connection between neuroscience and human behavior within a cause and effect framework, they help convince the individual to accept treatment. For example, consider a person with diabetes. You cannot persuade them to use medication unless you measure their blood sugar and show whether it is low or high. The same applies to a person with hypertension. If they do not see that their blood pressure is high, they will not accept medication. Similarly, when you concretely show a person that something in their brain is disrupted, they accept treatment. In fact, this is exactly what we do in our clinical practice. What is important here is to do this not through unscientific or informal methods, but through scientific evidence, analysis, and measurement. Because we cannot manage what we do not measure. We measure brain functions, manage them accordingly, and treat them based on those measurements. This is the fundamental goal of treatment.”

“Our brain works more with emotions than with thoughts”

Emphasizing that emotions are just as decisive as thoughts in human life, Tarhan said: “If you notice, we did not say ‘Think well, be well.’ We said ‘Think well, feel well, be well.’ Because our brain works more with emotions than with thoughts. In human relationships, information transfer, that is verbal communication, accounts for about 20 percent. Non verbal communication accounts for 80 percent. Verbal communication involves the transfer of information and data, whereas non verbal communication involves the transfer of emotions. Tone of voice, subtle emphases, chosen words, facial expressions, gestures, and body language all together make up 80 percent of effective communication. Ignoring this 80 percent and focusing only on thought is not correct. There is a book titled Descartes’ Error, written in the mid 1990s by Damasio, a neuroscientist and neurologist of Portuguese origin. What did Descartes say? ‘I think, therefore I am.’ However, human beings exist by feeling. Today, we now know that thought certainly exists and is important, but it is not sufficient on its own. Emotion is added to thought. That alone is still not enough. When thought and emotion come together, belief is formed. When we repeat this belief, it becomes a habit. If repeated for approximately six weeks, it becomes a habit. If repeated for six months, it becomes part of one’s personality. It then becomes automatic. This is similar to driving a car. While driving from one place to another, you talk about other things and focus on different topics, yet you drive automatically. Why? Because your brain has learned it and made it automatic. This is called epigenetic learning. The brain produces genetic variants related to frequently repeated behaviors, establishes new genetic connections, and begins to perform the behavior automatically.”

“There is no life with zero problems”

Discussing humanity’s search for meaning and ways of coping with crises, Tarhan said: “When a person encounters a difficult situation, whether it is an illness, an economic or social crisis, marital problems, or issues related to their child, they experience all of these one by one throughout life. In other words, there is no smooth life with zero problems. That would be pleasant, but it is neither possible nor realistic. Unlike other living beings, the human brain has four fundamental biological characteristics. First, the human brain seeks eternity. It does not want to die; it seeks immortality. Second, the human brain seeks meaning. It asks ‘Why?’ When information arrives, it questions who said it, what was said, and why it was said. In other words, it searches for cause. Third, the human brain seeks freedom. Human desires and wishes are limitless, but power is limited. Despite this, humans seek freedom. When you look at wars throughout history, you see that most of them are wars for freedom. Fourth, human beings are relational beings. Humans seek relationships. Thus, the human brain is one that seeks meaning, eternity, relationships, and freedom. Within such a structure, if a person can assign the right meaning to the pain they experience in their search for meaning, they can manage that pain. So what does it mean to assign meaning to pain? When we encounter a painful event, that event has both a threat dimension and an opportunity dimension. If you focus on the threat dimension, your morale declines and you fall into hopelessness. But if you focus on the opportunity dimension, you ask questions such as: ‘I am experiencing this event, what has it taught me? What do I need to do to prevent this from happening again? How can I turn this experience into a trauma that helps me grow?’ In other words, you experience a trauma. What matters is finding a way to transform that trauma into a developmental one rather than a destructive one.”

“The people of this age should be as productive as Edison and as wise as Mevlana”

Drawing attention to the balance between productivity and wisdom, Tarhan said: “The people of this age should be as productive as Edison and as wise as Mevlana. We need to bring these two together. Because being productive alone is not enough; people also need to be at peace and feel inner calm. The capitalist system encourages production, but it does not encourage happiness. For people to be happy and at peace with themselves, we must also find ways to support that. We are trying to show those paths here. If you look closely at my books, since the year 2000 I have consistently written works focused on preventing illness, with titles such as Being at Peace with Yourself, Psychology of Happiness, and Positive Psychology. I am a psychiatrist, and one might expect me to write primarily about illnesses such as schizophrenia or depression. However, what truly matters to me is helping people not become ill in the first place. Writing with this purpose gives me a greater sense of moral peace. If you view medicine solely as operating, cutting, or merely treating, it turns into a profit-oriented understanding of medical practice. Instead, one must think broadly and transcend the self. Our Prophet said, ‘The best among you is those who are most beneficial to society.’ We act with this motivation.”

“Divorce is not an option in marriage, but it is a result”

Answering questions from participants, Tarhan emphasized the importance of rational decisions over emotions in marriage. He said: “Rational decision making is necessary because emotions can be misleading. Not every feeling that arises within us is correct. One must examine whether a feeling stems from fear or hopelessness. In some situations, especially at such moments, there is a concept that enables people to continue struggling. This is called ‘exploratory hopelessness.’ Exploratory hopelessness leads one to ask: ‘If I act correctly and behave properly, what percentage of the deterioration in this relationship is due to me, and what percentage is due to the other party?’ At this point, a third eye and an objective perspective must come into play. Because in marriage, divorce is not an option but a result. If someone says before marriage, ‘If it does not work, I will leave,’ that person should not marry. This shows a lack of marital maturity. Marriage is like embarking on an ocean voyage or boarding an airplane. It is even similar to a surgeon entering an operation. Can a surgeon say, ‘I am bored, I am leaving,’ in the middle of surgery? No, because there is a responsibility involved. The same applies to marriage. One cannot say in the middle of a marriage, ‘I am bored, my feelings tell me to leave.’ First, one must ask: ‘Have I done everything within my power to sustain this marriage? Have all necessary steps, including couples therapy, been taken?’ If everything that could be done has been done and professional support has been sought, yet the marriage still does not work, then it is possible to separate amicably for the well being of the children. Because there is no divorce from motherhood or fatherhood, only from being husband and wife. That is why divorce is not an option in marriage, it is a result.”

“People with deep and meaningful relationships live longer”

Highlighting the impact of deep and meaningful relationships on human health, Tarhan said: “People who have deep and meaningful relationships live longer and are happier. One of the most important studies demonstrating this is Harvard’s well known healthy life study. This study, which lasted approximately 75 years, has extremely high evidential value in the scientific literature. What this study tells us is the importance of healthy and meaningful relationships. Today, many people have numerous friends, but very few meaningful relationships. Deep relationships are rare. One reason for this is selfishness, and another is dishonesty, deceit, and a lack of integrity. Where there is no trust, there can be no healthy relationship. In an environment where you cannot trust your spouse, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, a healthy friendship cannot be established. So what is friendship? A friend is someone who can comfort you when you are sad, stand by you when you are troubled, and most importantly, speak well of you behind your back. Friendship is not speaking kindly to someone’s face, but speaking well of them when they are not present. True friends are people like this. Marriage also has dimensions of companionship, romance, and friendship. The first stage is romantic love, the second stage is companionship, and the third stage is friendship. Marriages that reach the friendship stage create deep and meaningful relationships.”

“Our brain is like a chemistry laboratory”

Discussing the biological effects of negative thoughts on the body, Tarhan said: “When we think negatively, acidic chemicals are released in the brain. These chemicals increase sympathetic activation, raise vascular resistance, and create stress. As vascular resistance increases, blood pressure rises, shoulder, neck, and back muscles tense, and fibromyalgia may develop. Stomach and intestinal spasms occur, and various forms of gastritis are seen. In addition, because stress hormones are released, the immune system is suppressed. If this state lasts for a few hours, the body can usually compensate for it, because the parasympathetic nervous system comes into play. The vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body, scans the entire body starting from the intestines and sends a message to the brain saying, ‘Relax, the danger has passed.’ When this mechanism is activated, the stress response decreases. People who are able to remain calm under stress can manage this process more easily. Because our brain is almost like a chemistry laboratory. We must manage that laboratory like a pharmacist within the brain. Living is essentially about mixing stress hormones and happiness hormones in certain proportions, with the precision of a pharmacist, and pumping them into the bloodstream. This is exactly what positive thinking enables.”