RIYADH — There are a lot of misconceptions in the Kingdom over the causes of depression, schizophrenia and other psychological and mental disorders, according to a Riyadh-based clinical psychologist-cum-spiritual psychologist. “A majority of the people attribute such problems to the effect of black magic or evil eye, when it is not necessarily the case,” Mohammad Abbas, a Saudi spiritual and clinical psychologist, told Arab News.
He said that in many cases, such disorders are the result of social stress, family problems and tension. Alternatively, they could also be caused by black magic. Abbas, who holds a degree in clinical psychology, helps people identify the root cause of the problem. “If it is a spiritual problem, I cure it myself since I’ve been practicing Qur’anic healing for over 15 years. But if it’s a clinical problem, I give them medical advice, since I’m also a clinical psychologist.”
He pointed out that in one particular case, a Maronite Christian embraced Islam after treating him for black magic. The man had been suffering from a chronic psychological illness for several years. “I was able to cure his problem through Qur’anic treatment and brought him back to a normal life,” he said.
Abbas said a new field of knowledge, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), has emerged in the US that seeks to explore people’s inner personality to determine a person’s mode of thinking and behavior. The difference in approach between NLP and the type of treatment that Abbas offers is that in the West, every form of mental disorder is considered a clinical problem. This stems from the fact that the West does not believe in spiritualism as a causative factor.
Q: What is spiritual psychology and how does it differ from clinical psychology?
A: Spiritual psychology is based on pure religious treatment and follows the Prophetic tradition: Allah has created this soul and knows its cure as well. On the other hand, clinical psychology is related to the safety of the soul and the body. Though some claim that clinical psychology does not have any relationship with religion, the Qur’anic clinical experiences of patients have demonstrated its success. We believe that ignoring the importance of spiritual and religious aspects (which is the Western approach) is creating current-day problems. For example, it has been confirmed that it is possible to enhance the ability of the immune system to overcome diseases, including malignant ones, when a person succeeds in harnessing the potential of faith within.
Q: Do you think spiritual psychology is a type of religious incantation? What are their differences and similarities?
A: There are some diseases caused by evil spirits, which infect people by inflicting psychological and bodily injuries. However, they cannot be perceived by the normal senses of hearing, sight and touch. They can be met through a counter force, which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has approved and endorsed. Both behavioral and psychological diseases resulting from satanic spiritual diseases can be treated through clinical practice and by reciting Qur’anic verses to detect the disease. Those in need can contact me on [email protected].
Q: Are these diseases the result of evil eye, witchcraft and possession by Jinn?
A: Clinical specialists have classified psychological disorders into two kinds: neurosis and psychosis. The first includes a wide range of disorders, such as anxiety, phobias, compulsiveness, depression, panic, etc. The second relates to schizophrenia. The basic difference between the two types is that the victim is not aware of the reality of his or her situation. The psychotic patient, on the other hand, suffers from disturbed thinking and abnormal behavior and his social relations are almost nonexistent. We shall not touch on insanity because it is an established mental disorder. In my opinion, the cause of severe mental disorders is not due to religious reasons, but due to popular unscientific beliefs contributed by those physicians who are unfamiliar with psychological and spiritual diseases. They are totally ignorant of human psychology and causes of diseases resulting from disturbed lives and behavioral circumstances. History records that doctors and intellectuals in the Muslim world were the first people who introduced the concept of mental illness and refuted the belief that they are related to evil spirits. They treated such diseases normally. On the other hand, the Europeans burned mentally ill people alive or rejected them as insane. We believe that diseases caused by the evil eye could cause acute physical and psychological illnesses, which cannot be detected through X-rays.
Q: Is it true that spiritual psychology does not work but with religious people alone?
A: I shall mention here specifically the treatment from Qur’an in relation to non-Muslim patients. The Qur’an is a source of cure, relief and tranquility. Many of those who embraced Islam confirmed that their recitation of the Holy Qur’an gave them mental peace and provided a cure for sickness.
Q: How can we decide that the patient needs psychological, clinical or spiritual treatment?
A: The face-to-face meeting is very important in the psycho-spiritual diagnosis along with clinical test, which help in finding out if there is any psychological or physical problem so as to avoid any medical conflict at the behavioral and psychological levels. The patient will also have to go through a clinical test to identify his or her characteristics and behavioral pattern. After making sure that the patient is totally free from all sorts of diseases — physical, psychological and behavioral — he will be treated according to the latest Shariah and clinical method.
Q: Is there a role for relaxation and meditation in the psycho-spiritual type of treatment?
A: Relaxation and spiritual meditation are among many ways of getting rid of anxieties and tension. For a long time, many of the nations have been practicing different forms of relaxations for the body and mind. This is done through deep breathing and exercises.