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Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s Sustenance of the Soul
Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s Sustenance of the Soul: The Cognitive Behavior Therapy of a Ninth Century Physician | Malik Badri
2 posts | 1 read
Al-Balki explains symptoms and treatments giving advice on preventive measures and how to return the body and soul to their natural healthy state. In doing so he displays a keen understanding of the human condition and the medical nature of the human emotional state. An astonishing feat given that many of the conditions he discusses were left largely unknown and untreated for centuries before being clinically defined as such, only as relatively recently as the 20th century. A genius, his insights on human psychopathology as well as diagnoses of psychological ailments including stress, depression, fear and anxiety, phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders, together with their treatment by cognitive behavior therapy, relate to us in every way and are in sync with modern psychology. Importantly, they also incorporate a greater dimension to include the soul and the worship of God.
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saira

“If one is not busy with outward experiences, one naturally retreats inwardly, and to past reflections”

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saira
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Fascinating that Al Balkhi had these ideas in the 11th century, yet it wasn't until the 19th century that the West really grasped these concepts, now termed as CBT. It was interesting to see the different themes covered in such a small book and the 4 different types of neurosis's discussed; sadness and depression, anger and aggression, fear and panic and the obsessive inner.

If you have an interest in the psych then this is a book for you

saira Importance of friendly companionship (pg22) - when you voice your thoughts, a good friend can help you rationalise them and help you to expel negative thinking, OR authenticate what you are thinking. As otherwise faulty thinking/learning leads to emotional pathological habits, incorrect inferences as a result of inadequate or incorrect information and not being able to differentiate between 'imagination and reality'. 5y
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