Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Tuşba, Van, Turkey.
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2025, 17(02), 625–638
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2025.17.2.3078
Received on 07 October 2025; revised on 13 November 2025; accepted on 16 November 2025
This article aims to provide a holistic solution to the fundamental existential problem of modern man, the sense of "meaninglessness," from the intersection of ancient wisdom and contemporary science. The main problem of the study is how to overcome internal and external obstacles to individual and social peace. For this purpose, the concept of "self-discipline", which is at the center of the Islamic Sufi tradition, is reinterpreted as a universal model of character development. As a methodology, the basic principles of Sufi psychology have been subjected to an interdisciplinary synthesis with the findings of current neuroscience, positive psychology (PERMA Model), emotional intelligence (EI) and educational sciences (SEL Programs). The main findings of the article are grouped on three axes: First, the biggest obstacle to the search for a meaningful life is not external conditions, but internal mental pitfalls, such as cognitive biases and misconceptions. The second is that the process of "self-discipline" is based on concrete psychological and neurobiological mechanisms that increase the control of the prefrontal cortex over the limbic system and promote neuroplasticity. The third is that this internal "domestication" carried out at the individual level must be complemented by the search for a universal language of communication that will transcend the "wildness of language" at the social level. As a result, this study provides a practical and theoretical framework that aims at both personal "well-being" and collective peace by ensuring the integrity of individual maturation (morality) and social function (profession).
Self-discipline; Emotional intelligence; Self-regulation; Neuroplasticity; Character education; Mindfulness; Positive psychology; Moral education; Mysticism; Universal ethics; Spiritual development; Cognitive science; Holistic human
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Nasip DEMİRKUŞ. Holistic Human Construction: An Interdisciplinary Synthesis from Self-Discipline in Sufism to Modern Neuroscience. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2025, 17(02), 625–638. Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2025.17.2.3078.
Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0







