Psychotherapy Approaches by Master Said Nursi
Master Nursi begins this topic with a very meaningful description of a human being. Man is the last and most comprehensive fruit of the tree of this universe, the most honorable guest of the palace of the universe, and It is a being with infinite purposes and desires and infinite enemies.
Here I will present to you a few psychotherapeutic elements that I have deduced from Master Nursi’s works as far as I can understand them.
“A person who sees the good in things has good thoughts. And he who has good thoughts receives pleasure from life.” Master Nursi
From the point of view of psychotherapy, this quote by Master Nursi points to the effect of positive thinking and perception on psychological health. “A person who sees the good in things has good thoughts” is about how the individual perceives the world. Our perceptions and the way we look at things affect the way we think. A positive perspective leads to more positive thoughts. This is a concept often emphasized in cognitive therapy. Replacing negative thought patterns with positive ones helps to achieve a healthier mental state.
The expression “he who has good thoughts receives pleasure from life.” emphasizes the impact of positive thinking on quality of life. In psychotherapy, it is accepted that there is a direct link between the way individuals think and their emotional state. Positive thoughts help a person to feel more satisfied with life and more emotionally balanced. This is a principle used especially in positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches.
How can I use this in self-therapy?
Self-Evaluation and Using it for Development: This quote can be a guide on your journey of personal development. In therapy, you can review your perspective by asking yourself, “How am I looking at this situation? Can I see the good in it?” By encouraging positive thoughts, the quote can help you to handle difficulties in your life in a more positive way.
Strengthening the Emotion-Thought Connection: You can use this quote as a tool to understand how your thoughts affect your emotional state. You can gain awareness by remembering this quote to understand how the way you look at things in your life shapes your emotions. For example, practicing “seeing beautifully” can support emotional healing.
Focus on Positive Thinking: By remembering this quote, I can see how we see things is reflected in our thoughts and emotions. When I experience a negative event, I can help reshape my perspective by asking myself, “What can I see as good in this situation?”
Let’s take a look at what Master Nursi says here:
In everything, even in the things that seem ugliest, there is an aspect of true beauty. Yes, everything in the universe, every event, is either beautiful in itself or beautiful in terms of its consequences. There are some events that are ugly and obscure on the surface. But there are very bright beauties and regularities under that apparent veil.
Integrate with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Once you have recognized the “negative automatic thoughts” in yourself, you can use this phrase as a reminder. You can show yourself how looking at things from a more positive perspective can help change thought patterns. After catching a negative thought, you can encourage yourself to think more constructively by asking, “How can I see this situation from a different perspective?”
Mindfulness Exercises: By combining this with mindfulness exercises, you can learn to find the positive in the present moment. By inviting your mind and spirit to focus on the beauty around you during contemplation or mindfulness practices, you can cultivate positive thinking.
Reappraisal of Past Events: I can look again at negative experiences I have had in the past from the perspective of this saying. I can reevaluate events with questions such as “If I look at this situation from another perspective, can I see something beautiful?”
What I was trying to do here was to shed a light on my life with just a few aphorisms in the thousands of pages of Risale-i Nur Collection of my beloved therapist Master Nursi. Now I’m leaving the word to him again and I’m going to meet you in another article. Smile.
Yes, everyone sees the universe through his own mirror. Allah Almighty has created man as a yardstick, a balance for the universe. For each person, He has given a special world from this world. He shows the color of that realm according to the beliefs of that person’s heart. For example, a man who is very sad and mournful and weeps sees the universe as weeping and mournful; just as a man who is very joyful and cheerful and smiling with good news and joy sees the universe as cheerful and smiling.” Master Nursi
This article was inspired by Master Nursi’s work Risale- i Nur Corpus.
