MODERN CATHARSIS AND "SABR"

"Be silent. Only the Hand of God can remove the burdens of your heart." – Rumi

Rumi’s words of wisdom, were, alas, not meant for this age. For this is an era of frankness
and honesty, of being open and candid about your feelings and emotions, of letting it all out,
whether positive or negative. It is the age of freedom and liberty. It is the age of Catharsis.

Catharsis, literally meaning purging or cleansing, was a term introduced into psychology by
the renowned psychologist Sigmund Freud. Modern psychology up until now has laid great
emphasis on the importance of catharsis, or releasing the negative emotions clogged up
within the mind. Even the so-called self-help books are constantly telling us how important it
is for our psychological and emotional well-being to frequently ventilate, to release that
negative energy, to just let it out. Therefore, it is not uncommon, especially in the first world,
for people to pay regular visits to places just to ventilate their minds from negative emotions
and stress which our busy modern lives inadvertently burden us with. In the developing
world, a few close friends or confidantes equally play the role of ventilators, almost always
lending an ear to our daily frustrations, everyday problems and minor to major irritants,
related to spouses, kids, work, or, of course, the in laws.

Emerging psychological research, however, appears to suggest that venting may actually not
be so healthy, and catharsis may, in fact, be just a myth. According to the 1999 study by Brad
J. Bushman, venting anger actually causes further anger and aggression amongst people.In
the conclusion to the paper he writes:

Catharsis theory predicts that venting anger should get rid of it and should therefore reduce
subsequent aggression. The present findings, as well as previous findings, directly contradict
catharsis theory. For reducing anger and aggression, the worst possible advice to give people
is to tell them to imagine their provocateur’s face on a pillow or punching bag as they wallop
it, yet this is precisely what many popular psychologists advise people to do. If followed,
such advice will only make people angrier and more aggressive by nature.

Other research has very recently pointed out that constant complaining rewires our brain for
negativity, making future complaining more likely. Hence, instead of easing our burden by
venting our negativity, complaining is permanently changing our brain to act more
negatively. Moreover, a Stanford University research has shown that constant complaining
actually shrinks the Hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in intelligent thought and
problem solving. Therefore, instead of bestowing upon us the wonderfully liberating and
fleeting feeling of being purged, expressing negative feelings not only cause psychological
but also physiological damage to our bodies.

Researchers suggest that instead of venting that negativity, one should try to overcome it
through various strategies, for instance, taking deep breaths, taking a nap, trying to divert
your attention towards something positive, practicing gratitude to avert complaining. In other
words, modern psychology is recommending the practice of patience.

Patience or Sabr is a word mentioned frequently in the Quran. We are told time and again that
patience has its rewards, and now we have modern science backing up the very concept and
idea of sabr. When the Quran says, “seek help through patience and prayer.” (2:153), it is
indeed offering us the perfect antidote for negativity. Patience offers the best
psychotherapeutic intervention which can eventually alter our perceptions and pour in
positivity. The more we dwell on our negative emotions, the further we submerge into
negativity, while through silence, and patience we allow positivity to sink in. The Quranic
concept of Sabr is a very vast and deep concept, the therapeutic nature of which can only be
understood by studying the verses about sabr in the light of modern psychological research,
and vice versa.Basically, what the Quran is doing  is encouraging us to alter our mode of
thought, to be mindful of our perceptions and emotions and to steer them from negativity
towards positivity.

Interventions for anger management also focus on self-control, which, in other words, is
patience. A very well-known saying of our Prophet (SAW) is that a strong man is not one
who can wrestle his opponent but one who can control his anger. Modern psychology –
instead of indulging the whims of individuals and spoiling them further by encouraging them
to vent their negativity, as was the case in Freudian Psychoanalysis –  is now putting forth
intervention techniques in which people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own
actions and to take an active role in bringing about change in their behavior through patience
and mindfulness. The recollection of an unpleasant event or incident causes the individual
to relive the emotion and restores past negativity. Instead of trying to instill a false sense of
“purification” through catharsis, patience appears a far better, longer lasting strategy for the
peace of mind.