Managing Negative Thoughts: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Integration of Islamic Teachings and Neuroscience for Promoting Mental Wellbeing

This research, adopting a philosophical and interdisciplinary approach, investigates the enduring issue of managing negative thoughts, aiming to present effective strategies through the integration of rich Islamic teachings and pioneering findings of neuroscience. The central argument of this philosophical inquiry rests on the hypothesis that key Islamic teachings, particularly the concepts of "Dhikr," "Tawakkul," and "Shukr," are not only aligned and compatible with the complex neuro-cognitive mechanisms of humans, but also have the potential to be utilized as operational, effective, and culture-based strategies to comprehensively promote mental wellbeing and reduce the destructive and debilitating effects of negative thoughts. The research methodology comprises a combination of two complementary approaches: Firstly, interpretive-philosophical content analysis of fundamental Islamic texts to extract relevant teachings and principles; and secondly, a systematic review and narrative synthesis of previous empirical studies in the field of neuroscience, focusing on the mechanisms of the impact of spiritual interventions on the brain and mind. The findings of this integrated research led to the development of a set of practical strategies, including "Dhikr-based Mindfulness (Dhikr-Awareness)," "Active and Responsible Tawakkul," and "Conscious and Continuous Gratitude." Relying on robust theoretical foundations and plausible neuro-cognitive mechanisms, these strategies were briefly examined within a case study to illustrate the potential effectiveness of the proposed approach. Ultimately, while emphasizing the necessity of developing a fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue between religious sciences and neuroscience, this article acknowledges that this research is an initial step on the arduous path of promoting mental health by leveraging spiritual and scientific capacities, and requires further extensive research in this area.

Managing Negative Thoughts: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Integration of Islamic Teachings and Neuroscience for Promoting Mental Wellbeing Keywords:

Negative Thoughts , Islam , Neuroscience , Mental Wellbeing , Integrated Management