HOW TO LEARN EMOTIONS
CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
ERIC SCHAPS, DEVELOPMENT STUDIES CENTER, IAKLAND, CALIFORNIA PENDENT OBSERVERS, COMPARING WITH CONTROL SCHOOLS.
RESULTS :
* MORE RESPONSIBLE
* MORE ASSERTIVE
* MORE POPULAR AND OUTGOING
* MORE PRO-SOCIAL AND HELPFUL
* BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS
* MORE CONSIDERATE, CONCERNED
* MORE PRO-SOCIAL STRATEGIES FOR INTERPERSONAL
PROBLEM-SOLVING
* MORE HARMONIOUS
* MORE "DEMOCRATIC"
* BETTER CONFLICT-RESOLUTION SKILLS
UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIPS
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* INCREASED ABILITY TO ANALYZE AND UNDERSTAND RELATIONSHIPS
* BETTER AT RESOLVING CONFLICTS AND NEGOTIATING DISAGREEMENTS
* BETTER AT SOLVING PROBLEMS IN RELATIONSHIPS
* MORE ASSERTIVE AND SKILLED AT COMMUNICATING
* MORE POPULAR AND OUTGOING, FRIENDLY AND INVOLVED WITH PEERS
* MORE SOUGHT OUT BY PEERS
* MORE CONCERNED AND CONSIDERATE
* MORE "PRO-SOCIAL" AND CONSIDERATE
* MORE SHARING, COOPERATION, AND HELPFULNESS'
* MORE DEMOCRATIC IN DEALING WITH OTHERS
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ONE ITEM ON THIS LIST DEMANDS SPECIAL ATTENTION, EMOTIONAL LITERALLY PROGRAMS IMPROVE CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS SCORES AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE. IN A TIME WHEN TOO MANY CHILDREN LACK THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE THEIR UPSETS, TO LISTEN OR FOCUS, TO REIN IN IMPULSE, TO FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR WORK OR CARE ABOUT LEARNING, ANYTHING THAT WILL BUTTRESS THESE SKILLS WILL HELP THEIR EDUCATION. IN THIS SENSE, EMOTIONAL LITERACY ENHANCES SCHOOL'S ABILITY TO TEACH EVEN IN A TIME OF BACK-TO-BASICS AND BUGET CUTS, THERE IS AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT THESE PROGRAMS HELP REVERSE A TIDE OF EDUCATIONAL DECLINE AND STRENGTHEN SCHOOL IS ACCOMPLISHING THEIR MAN MISSION, AND SO ARE WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT.
BEYOND THESE EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGE, THE COURSES TO HELP CHILDREN BETTER FULFILL THEIR ROLES IN LIFE, BECOMING BETTER FRIENDS, STUDENTS, SONS AND DAUGHTERS - AND IN THE FUTURE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE BETTER HUSBANDS AND WIVES, WORKERS AND BOSSESS, PARENTS, AND CITIZENS, WHILE NOT EVERY BOY AND GIRS WILL ACQUIRE THESE SKILLS WITH EQUAL SURENESS, TO THE DEGREE THEY DO WE ARE ALL THE BETTER FOR IT. A RISING TIDE LIFT ALL BOATS. AS TIM SHRIVER PUT IT. IT'S NOT JUST THE KIDS WITH PROBLEMS, BUT KIDS WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THESE SKILLS, THESE ARE AN INOCULATION FOR LIFE.
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A WORD ABOUT WHAT I REFER TO UNDER THE RUBRIC EMOTION, A TERM WHOSE PRECISE MEANING PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PHILOSOPHERS HAVE QUIBBLED OVER FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. IN ITS MOST LITERAL SENSE, THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINES EMOTION AS "ANY AGITATION OR DISTURBANCE OF MIND, FEELING, PASSION, ANY VEHEMENT OR EXCITED MENTAL STATE. I TAKE EMOTION TO REFER TO A FEELING AND ITS DISTINTIVE THOUGHTS, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BILOGICAL STATES, AND RANGE OF PROPENSITIES TO ACT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF EMOTIONS, ALONG WITH THEIR BLENDS, VARIATIONS, MUTATIONS, AND NUANCES. INDEED, THERE ARE MANY MORE SUBTLETIES OF EMOTION THAT WE HAVE WORDS FOR.
RESEARCHERS CONTINUE TO ARGUE OVER PRECISELY WHICH EMOTIONS CAN BE CONSIDERED PRIMARY - THE BLUE, RED, AND YELLOW OF FEELING FROM WHICH ALL BLENDS COME - OR EVEN IF THERE ARE SUCH PRIMARY EMOTIONS AT ALL. SOME THEORISTS PROPOSE BASIC FAMILIES, THOUGH, NOT ALL AGREE ON THEM. THE MAIN CANDIDATES AND SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES.
* ANGER : FURY, OUTRAGE, RESENTMENT, WRATH, EXASPERATION, INDIGATION, VEXATION, ACRIMONY, ANIMOSITY, ANNOYANCE, IRRITABILITY, HOSTILITY, AND , PERHAPS AT THE EXREME, PATHOLOGICAL HATRED AND VIOLENCE
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* SADNESS : GRIEF, SORROW, CHEERLESSNESS, GLOOM, MELANCHLOGY, SELF-PITY, LONELINESS, DEJECTION, DESPAIR, AND , WHEN PATHOLOGICAL, SEVERE DEPRESSION .
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* FEAR : ANXIETY, APPREHENSION, NERVOUSNESS, CONCERN, CONSTRERNATION, MISGIVING, WARINESS, QUALM, EDGINESS, DREAD, FRIGHT, TERROR, AS A PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, PHOBIA AND PANIC.
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* ENJOYMENT : HAPPINESS, JOY, RELIEF, CONTENTMENT, BLISS, DELIGHT, AMUSEMENT, PRIDE, SENSUAL PLEASURE, THRILL, RAPTURE, GRATIFICATION, SATISFACTION, EUPHORIA, WHIMSY, ECSTASY, AND AT THE FAR EDGE, MANIA.
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* LOVE : ACCEPTANCE, FRIENDILNESS, TRUST, KINDNESS, AFFINITY, DEVOTION, ADORATION, INFATUTION, AGAPE
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* SURPRISE : SHOCK, ASTONISHMENT, AMAZEMENT, WONDER
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* DISGUST : CONTEMPT, DISDAIN, SCORN, ABHORRENCE, AVERSION, DISTASTE, REVULSION.
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* SHAME : GUILT, EMBARRASSMENT, CHAGRIN, REMORSE, HUMILIATION, REGRET, MORTIFICATION, AND CONTRITION.
BALM FOR ANGER
GIVEN THE ANALYSIS OF THE ANATOMY OF RAGE, ZILLMANN SEES TWO MAIN WAYS OF INTERVENING. ONE WAY OF DEFUSING ANGER IS TO SEIZE ON THE CHALLENGE THE THOUGHTS THAT TRIGGER THE SURGES OF ANGER, SINCE IS THE ORIGINAL APPRAISAL OF AN INTERACTION THAT CONFIRMS AND ENCOURAGES THE FIRST BURST OF ANGER, AND THE SUBSEQUENT REAPPRAISALS THAT FAN THE FLAMES. TIMING MATTERS, THE EARLIER IN THE ANGER CYCLE THE MORE EFFECTIVE . INDEED, ANGER CAN BE COMPLETELY SHORT CIRCUITED IF THE MITIGATING INFORMATION COMES BEFORE THE ANGER IS ACTED ON.
THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING TO DEFLATE ANGER IS CLEAR FROM ANOTHER OF ZILLMANN'S EXPERIMENTS, IN WHICH A RUDE ASSITANT (A CONFEDERATE) INSULTED AND PROVOKED VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE RIDING AN EXERCISE BIKE. WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO RETALIATE AGAINST THE RUDE EXPERIMENT (AGAIN, BY GIVING A BAD EVALUATION THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE USED IN WEIGHTING HIS CANDICACY FOR A JOB) THEY DID SO WITH AN ANGRY GLEE. BUT IN ONE VERSION OF THE EXPERIMENT ANOTHER CONFEDERATE ENTERED AFTER THE VOLUNTEERS HAD BEEN PROVOKED, AND JUST BEFORE THE CHANCE TO RETALIATE, SHE TOLD THE PROVOCATIVE EXPERIMENT HE HAD A PHONE CALL DOWN THE HALL. AS HE LEFT HE MADE A SRIDE REMARK TO HER TOO. BUT SHE TOOK IT IN GOOD SPIRITS, EXPLAINING AFTER HE LEFT THAT HE WAS UNDER TERRIBLE PRESSURES, UPSET ABOUT HIS UPCOMING GRADUATE ORALS. AFTER THAT THE IRATE VOLUNTEERS, WHEN OFFERED THE CHANCE TO RETALIATE AGAIST THE RUDE FELLOW, CHOSE NOT TO, INSTEAD THEY EXPRESSED COMPASSION FOR HIS PLIGHT.
SUCH MITIGATING INFORMATION ALLOWS A REAPPRAISAL OF THE ANGER-PROVOKING EVENTS. BUT THERE IS A SPECIFIC WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS DE-ESCALATION. ZILMANN FINDS IT WORKS WELL AT MODERATE LEVELS OF ANGER, AT HIGH LEVELS OF RAGE IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE BECAUSE OF WHAT HE CALLS "COGNITIVE INCAPACITATION - IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE CAN NO LONGER THINK STRAIGHT. WHEN PEOPLE WERE ALREADY HIGHLY ENRAGED, THEY DISMISSED THE MITIGATING INFORMATION WITH "THAT'S JUST TOO BAD" OR THE STRONGEST VULGARITIES THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HAS TO OFFER, AS ZILLMANN PUT IT WITH DELICACY.
COOLING DOWN
ONECE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 13, IN AN ANGRY, I WALKED OUT OF THE HOUSE VOWING IN WOULD NEVER RETURN, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER DAY, AND I WALKED FAR ALONG LOVELY LANES, TILL GRADUALLY THE STILLNESS AND BEAUTY CALMED AND SOOTHED ME, AND AFTER SOME HOURS I RETURNED REPENTANT AND ALMOST MELTED. SINCE THEN WHEN I AM ANGRY, I DO THIS IF I CAN, AND FIND IT THE BEST CURE.
EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS
* IMPROVEMENT IN RECOGNIZING AND NAMING OWN EMOTIONS
* BETTER ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES OF FEELINGS'
* RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FEELINGS AND ACTIONS
MANAGING EMOTIONS
* BETER FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE AND ANGER MANAGEMENT
* FEWER VERBUL PUT-DOWNS, FIGHTS, AND CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS
* BETTER ABLE TO EXPRESS ANGER APPROPRIATELY, WITHOUT FIGHTING
* FEWER SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS
* LESS AGGRESSIVE OR SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR
* MORE POSITIVE FEELINGS ABOUT SELF, SCHOOL, AND FAMILY
* BETTER AT HANDLING STRESS
* LESS LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ANXIETY
HARNESSING EMOTIONS PRODUCTIVELY
❤ MORE RESPONSIBLE
❤ BETTER ABLE TO FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND PAY ATTENTION
❤ LESS IMPULSIVE, MORE SELF-CONTROL
❤ IMPROVED SCORES ON ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
EMPATHY READING EMOTIONS
👀 BETTER ABLE TO TAKE ANOTHER PERSON'S PERSPECTIVE
👀 IMPROVED EMPATHY AND SENSITIVITY TO OTHERS FEELINGS
👀 BETTER AT LISTENING TO OTHERS
MIND AND MEDICINE
WHO TAUGHT YOU ALL THIS DOCTOR?
THE REPLY CAME PROMPTY?
SUFFERING".
---- ALBERT CAMUS, THE PLAGUE
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A VAGUE ACHE IN MY GROIN SENT ME TO MY DOCTOR. NOTHING SEEMED UNUSUAL UNTIL H LOOKED AT THE RESULT OF A URINE TEST. I HAD TRACES OF BLOOD IN MY URINE.
I WANT YOU TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND GET SOME TESTS... KIDNEY FUNCTION, CYTOLOGY... HE SAID IN A BUSINESSLIKE TONE.
I HAVE A FOGGY MEMORY OF HIS EXPLAINING TO WHEN AND WHERE TO GO FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. IT WAS THE SIMPLEST INSTRUCTION, BUT I HAD TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT IT THREE OR FOUR TIMES. CYTOLOGY - MY MIND WOULD NOT LEAVE THE WORD. THAT ONE WORD MADE ME FEEL AS THOUGH I HAD JUST MUGGED AT MY OWN FRONT DOOR.
WE SHOULD I HAVE REACTED SO STRONGLY? MY DOCTOR WAS JUST BEING THOROUGH AND COMPETENT, CHECKING THE LIMBS IN A DIAGNOSTIC DECISION TREE. THERE WAS A TINY LIKEHOOD THAT CANCER WAS THE PROBLEM. BUT THIS RATIONAL ANALYSIS WAS IRRELEVANT AT THAT MOMENT. IN THE LAND OF THE SICK, EMOTIONS REIGN SUPREME, FEAR IS A THOUGHT AWAY. WE CAN BE SO EMOTIONALLY FRAGILE WHILE WE ARE AILING BECAUSE OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING IS BASED IN PART ON THE ILLUSION OF INVULNERABILITY . SICKNESS - ESPECIALLY A SEVERE ILLNESS - BURSTS THAT ILLUSION, ATTACKING THE PREMISE THAT OUR PRIVATE WORLD SAFE AND SECURE. SUDDENLY WE FEEL WEAK, HELPLESS, AND VULNERABLE.
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DESPITE SUCH EVIDENCE, MANY OR MOST PHYSICIANS ARE STILL SKEPTICAL THAT EMOTIONS MATTER CLINICALLY. ONE REASONS IS THAT WHILE MANY STUDIES HAVE FOUND STRESS AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS TO WEAKEN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS IMMUNE CELLS, IT IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAR THAT THE RANGE OF THESE CHANGES IS GREAT ENOUGH TO MAKE A MEDICAL DIFFERENCE.
EVEN SO, AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS ACKNOWLEDGE THE PLACE OF EMOTIONS IN MEDICINE. FOR INSTANCE, DR.CAMRAN NEZHAT, AN EMINENT GYNECOLOGICAL LAPAROSCOPIC SURGEON AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY, SAYS, "IF SOMEONE SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY TELLS ME SHE'S PANICKED THAT DAY AND DOES NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH WITH IT, I CANCEL THE SURGERY". NEZHAT EXPLAINS, EVERY SURGEON KNOWS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE EXREMELY SCARED TO TERRIBLY IN SURGERY. THEY BLEED TOO MUCH, THEY HAVE MORE INFECTIONS AND COMPLICATIONS. THEY HAVE A HARDER TIME RECOVERING . IT'S MUCH BETTER IF THEY ARE CALM".
THE REASON IS STRAIGHTFORWARD: PANIC AND ANXIETY HIKE BLOOD PRESSURE, AND VEINS DISTENDED BY PRESSURE BLEED MORE PROFUSELY WHEN CUT BY THE SURGEON'S KNIFE. EXCESS BLEEDING IS ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLESOME SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS, ONE THAT CAN SOMETIMES LEAD TO DEATH.
BEYOND SUCH MEDICAL ANECDOTES, EVIDENCE FOR THE CLINICAL IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONS HAS BEEN MOUNTING STEADILY. PERHAPS THE MOST COMPELLING DATA ON THE MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF EMOTION COME FROM A MASS ANALYSIS COMBINING RESULTS FROM 101 SMALLER STUDIES INTO A SINGLE LARGER ONE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND MEN AND WOMEN. THE STUDY CONFIRMS THAT PERTURBING EMOTIONS ARE BAD FOR HEALTH - TO A DEGREE. PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED CHRONIC ANXIETY, LONG PERIODS OF SADNESS AND PESSIMISM, UNREMITTING TENSION OR INCESSANT HOLSTILITY, RELENTLESS CYNICISM OR SUSPICIOUSNESS, WERE FOUND TO HAVE DOUBLE THE RISK OF DISEASE (EACH REPRESENTATIVE OF MAJOR, BROAD CATAGORIES OF DISEASE). THIS ORDER OF MAGNITUDE MAKES DISTRESSING EMOTIONS AS TOXIC A RISK FACTOR AS, SAY, SMOKING OR HIGH CHOLESTEROL ARE FOR HEART DISEASE - IN OTHER WORDS, A MAJOR THREAT TO HEALTH.
TO BE SURE, THIS IS A BROAD STATISTICAL LINK, AND BY NO MEANS INDICATES THAT EVERYONE WHO HAS SUCH CHRONIC FEELINGS WILL THUS MORE EASILY FALL PREY TO A DISEASE. BUT THE EVIDENCE FOR A POTENT ROLE FOR EMOTION IN DISEASE IS FAR MORE EXTENSIVE THAN THIS ONE STUDY OF STUDIES INDICATES. TAKING A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT THE DATA FOR SPECIFIC EMOTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE BIG THREE-ANGER, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION - MAKES CLEARER SOME SPECIFIC WAYS THAT FEELINGS HAVE MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE, EVEN IF THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISM BY WHICH SUCH EMOTIONS HAVE THEIR EFFECT ARE YET TO BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD?
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
SUFFERINGS AND MORALS
KNOWLEDGE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUFFERINGS AND THE MORAL VALUES SHOULD BE OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE TO THE LEADERS OF REFORMATION. IF THEY BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, THEN IT IS EASY FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT IT IS THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL DEGRADATION, WHICH ACTUALLY BECOMES THE FINAL CAUSE OF MISFORTUNES OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT IS SO GIVEN IN THE HOLY BOOK OF ALLAH. FOR THEM, THE FIRST STEP TOWARD IMPROVING THE LOT OF A NATION IS TO STRIVE TO IMPROVE THE MORAL STANDARDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS COMPRISING THAT NATION.
HOWEVER, THE MESSAGE OF HOLY QURAN ON THIS ISSUE IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS ALSO. IN THE DOMAIN OF CAUSE AND EFFECT THIS IS A REVOLUNTIONARY CONCEPT WHICH NEEDS TO BE FURTHER ANALYSED AND UNDERSTOOD TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NATURAL CATASTROPHIES SUCH AS EARTHQUAKES, FLOODS, HURRICANE, METEOR SHOWERS, WARS, EPIDEMICS ETC AND THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL DEGRADATION OF A SOCIETY.
IN THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC APPROACH, REASONS FOR OCCURENCE OF SUCH EVENTS ARE ATTRIBUTED SOLELY TO PHYSICAL LAWS. BUT WITH REFERENCE TO THE DIVINE BOOK WE SEE A NEW DIMENSION IN THE STUDY OF HUMAN SUFFERINGS. FROM HERE, WE CAN SAY THAT ALL EVENTS ARE GOVERNED BY TWO TYPES OF CAUSES. I.E. SPIRITUAL CAUSES AND PHYSICAL CAUSES.
THE QURAN ALSO LEADS US TO THE IDEA THAT SPIRITUAL CAUSES PRECEDE PHYSICAL CAUSES. IN OTHER WORDS WE ARE SAYING THAT PHYSICS CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE METAPHYSICS. IN THE DOMAIN OF SOCIAL OF NATIONS, METAPHYSICS GOVERNS THE PHYSICS. ACCORDING TO THIS PHILOSOPHY, THE OCCURENCES OF EVENTS MAY BE REPRESENTED AS FOLLOWS :
META PHYSICAL CAUSES + PHYSICAL CAUSES .... EVENTS
OR
MORAL CAUSES + PHYSICAL CAUSES ...... EVENTS
OR
META PHYSICS + PHYSICS .... ..... EVENTS
THIS IS TO SAY THAT EVENTS FIRST FORM IN THE MINDS OF PEOPLE , FILTHY MINDS GIVE BIRTH TO FIFTHY EVENTS, HEALTHY MINDS GIVE BIRTH TO HEALTHY EVENTS.
CHANGING YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF EVENTS, YOU WILL FIRST NEED TO CHANGE THE MINDS OF PEOPLE. THE LAW GIVEN IN THE HOLY QURAN IS THAT YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR STATE UNLESS YOU CHANGE WHAT IS HIDDEN IN YOUR MINDS. THIS IS REVEALED IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE.
LO! ALLAH CHANGES NOT THE CONDITION OF A FOLK
UNTIL THEY FIRST CHANGE.
THAT WHICH IS IN THEIR SELVES.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIAL LAW FOR CHANGE, APPLICABLE EQUALLY TO THE INDIVIDUALS, TO THE SOCIETIES, TO THE NATIONS, AND TO THE WORLD AS A WHOLE. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES YOU MUST FIRST CHANGE YOUR OWN MIND. THIS IS A REMINDER TO SCIENCE ALSO WHICH SOLELY RELIES UPON THE MATERIALISTIC APPROACH TO LIFE. IT NEEDS TO LEARN FROM THE HOLY QURAN THAT THERE IS A FORCE BEYOND THE PHYSICS ALSO, WHICH ACTUALLY GOVERNS AND CONTROLS THE PHYSICAL LAWS. THIS FORCE IS CONTROLLED BY WHAT WE ALL THE "MIND". ON THE MICROSCOPIC LEVEL THERE IS MIND OF AN INDIVIDUAL, AND ON THE MICROSCOPIC LEVEL THERE IS ALSO THE COLLECTIVE MIND OF THE SOCIETY, OF A NATION AND OF THE WORLD AS A WHOLE. WE MAY EQUATE THESE AS FOLLOWS :
MIND OF THE INDIVIDUALS - MIND OF THE SOCIETY
MIND OF SOCIETIES - MIND OF THE NATION
MIND OF THE NATIONS - MIND OF THE WORLD
COLLECTIVE MIND OF THE SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONS DETERMINES THEIR FUTURE AND DECIDES THEIR RISE AND FALL ON THE SCENE OF THE WORLD. THUS CUMULATIVE MIND IS THE GREATEST FORCE IN THE WORLD. IF THE COMULATIVE THE REST OF THE WORLD, IT CAN CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE HISTORY IN ITS FAVOUR. A MAN WHOSE INDIVIDUAL "MIND FORCE" IS GREATER THAN THE COMULATIVE MIND FORCE OF THE SOCIETY. HE CAN DOMINATE AND TAKE THE SOCIETY ALONG WITH HIM. HE CAN MOVE THE PHYSICAL LAWS IN HIS FAVOUR AS THERE IS A MYSTERIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL LAWS, I.E. BETWEEN THE MATTER AND MIND.
HOW IT DOES WORK?
THE UNIVERSAL DOOMSDAY
(HOLY QURAN)
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AS DISCUSSED ALREADY, ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW EXACTLY ABOUT THE TIMINGS OF THE DOOMSDAY, YET THERE ARE SOME QUALITATIVE INDICATIONS IS THE HOLY QURAN , AND IN THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHET OF ALLAH, WHICH HELP US TO SEE THAT IT IS NOT A TOO FAR EVENT NOW.
IN THE FOLLOWING SECTION WE SHALL STUDY THE SIGNS OF THE APPROACHING DOOMSDAY WITH REFERENCE TO THE HOLY QURAN.
A HIGH TECH .AGE.
ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT INDICATIONS ABOUT THE COMING OF THE EARTH'S DOOMSDAY GIVEN IN THE HOLY QURAN IS THAT BEFORE THE APPROACH OF THAT DREADFUL EVENT, THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH WILL HAVE ATTAINED A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF TECHNICAL COMPETENCY. IT WILL BE A HIGH TECH AGE. ON THIS THE QURAN SAYS :
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(THE DOOMSDAY WILL NOT BEGIN)
UNTIL WHEN THE EARTH,
PUTS ON ITS GOLD ADONEMENT,
AND HAS BEEN EMBELLISHED,
AND ITS PEOPLE THINK
THEY HAVE GAINED MASTREY OVER IT.
THEN COMES DOWN UPON IT OUR JUDGEMENT,
BY NIGHT OR BY DAY.
AND WE CAUSE IT TO BECOME
(LIKE) A FIELD MOWN DOWN,
AS IF THERE HAD BEEN NO YESTERDAY.
MUHAMMED ASAD, IN HIS COMMENTARY ON VERSE 10 SAYS, PEOPLE WOULD COME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE GAINED MASTERY OVER NATURE WITH NO CONCEIVABLE LIMITS TO WHAT THEY MAY YET ACHIEVE. IT IS TO BE BORN IN MIND THAT TH TERM "ZUKHRUF BEARS ALMOST INVARIABLY A CONNOTATION OF ARTIFICIALITY, A CONNOTATION WHICH IN THIS CASE IS COMMUNICATED TO THE SUBSEQUENT VERB" IZZAYYANAT . THUS, THE WHOLE OF THE ABOVE PARABOLIC SENTENCE MAY BE UNDERSTOOD AS ALLUDING TO THE ARTIFICIAL, ILLUSORY" ADORNMENT" BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE MAN'S TECHNOLOGICAL EFFORTS, NOT IN COLLABORTION WITH NATURE BUT, RATHER, IN THE HOSTILE, "CONFRONTATION" WITH IT".
THE PRESENT AGE SEEMS CLOSE ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REFERRED IN VERSE 10 WHEN MAN WILL RIGHTLY SAY, "HE IS THE MASTER OF THE WORLD". HE HAS STARTED CONTROLLING HIS ENVIRONMENT AND IS FREELY EXPLOITING EARTHLY RESOURCES. DESERTS ARE BEING CONVERTED TO GARDENS AND EVEN FAR OFF AREAS ARE BEING DEVELOPED INTO PLACES OF BEAUTY, ROCKETS ARE PROBING DEEP INTO SPACE AND MOON HAS ALREADY BEEN COLONIZED. PEOPLE HAVE MORE WEALTH THAN EVER. EVEN AN AVERAGE FAMILY ENHOYS BETTER LIVING STANDARD THAN THE KINGS OF THE PAST. ALL THIS POINTS OUT THAT THE END MUST BE NEARER.
SPACE TRAVEL
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF HIGHTECH, DEVELOPMENT NEAR THE DOOMSDAY IS INDICATED BY VERSES 55 THAT BEFORE THAT DAY, HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH WILL HAVE ACQUIRED THE CAPABILITY OF DEEP SPACE TRAVEL. SO MUCH SO THAT THEY SEE THE WORSENING CONDITIONS ON THE EARTH, THEY WILL TAKE STEPS TO LEAVE IT AND SEEK REFUGE IN OTHER REGIONS OF THE UNIVERSE. BUT EVEN THAT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM. THESE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BEEN PREDICTED IN VERSES 55 OF THE HOLY QURAN GIVEN BELOW
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"O" COMPANY OF JINNS AND MANKIND,
IF YE HAVE THE POWER
TO PENETRATE THE OUTER REGIONS
OF HEAVENS AND THE EARTH,
THEN PENETRATE (THEM)
YE WILL NEVER PENETRATE (THEM)
SAVE WITH POWER (AUTHORITY)
WHICH OF THE FAVOURS OR YOUR LORD
WILL YE THEN DENY?
NEAR THE PERIOD OF THE DOOMSDAY OF EARTH MANKIND AND THE JINNIS (WHICH SOME TRASLATE AS A KIND OF ENERGY-BEINGS", WHOM, BY THAT TIME MAN MIGHT HAVE NOT ONLY COME TO KNOW BUT BE FRIENDED, WILL HAVE ATTAINED THE POWER TO LEAVE THE EARTH AND PENETRATE DEEP INTO SPACE. THEY WILL ACQUIRE THIS CAPABILITY THROUGH THE AUTHORITY OF TECHNOLOGY. THE NEXT VERSE 55 TELLS THAT, EVEN THIS MARVELLOUS TECHNICAL ABILITY WILL BE OF NO USE TO THEM AT THE TIME OF THE DOOMSDAY. AS THEY FLY OUT THEY WILL ENCOUNTER FATAL RADIATIONS FROM WHICH THEY WILL HAVE NO ESCAPE AS PREDICTED IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE:
THERE WILL BE SENT AGAINST YOU BOTH,
HEAT OF FIRE AND FLASH OF BRASS,
THAT YE WILL NOT ESCAPE.
MOUNTAINS TURNING INTO SAND
ANOTHER DRAMATIC FEATURE OF THE DOOMSDAY UNDERSTOOD FROM HOLY QURAN IS THAT, DURING THIS PHASE, ALL HIGH GROUNDS, HILLS, MOUTAINS AND VALLEYS ON THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH WILL BE LEVELLED OF, MOUNTAINS TURNING INTO DUST FLYING ALL AROUND. EARTH WILL THEN REDUCE INTO A BARREN MOUND OF RUBBLE. IN THIS CONTEXT THE FOLLOWING VERSES NEED CAREFUL ANALYSIS:
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THEY ASK THEE CONCERNING
THE MOUNTAINS,
SAY, MY LORD WILL BREAK THEM,
AND SCATTER THEM AS DUST,
HE WILL RENDER (EARTH)
PLAIN, SMOOTH AND LEVEL.
NOTHING CROOKED
WI! THOU SEE IN THEIR PLACE.
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THOU SEE THE MOUNTAINS,
AND THINK THEM FIRMLY FIXED.
BUT THEY SHALL PASS AWAY,
AS THE CLOUDS PASS AWAY.
AND THE MOUNTAINS,
THEY WILL BECOME LIKE
CARDED WOOL!
THE SAME PHENOMENA OF THE EARTH'S DOOMSDAY IS EXPLAINED MORE EXPLICITY IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES:
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WHEN THE EVENT (OF DOOM) FALLS,
THERE IS NO DENYING THAT IT WILL BEFALL,
ABASHING, EXALTING.
EARTH IS SHAKEN AGAIN AND AGAIN,
AND THE HILLS ARE CRUMBLED TO ATOMS,
BECOMING DUST SCATTERED ABROAD".
HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN THE MEANINGS OF THESE VERSES? HOW ARE THE MOUNTAINS GOING TO CRUMBLE AND FLY? HOW IS THE EARTH GOING TO BE GROUNDED TO POWDER? THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANALYSED TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS OF THE EARTH'S DOOMSDAY.
UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES, WE ARE AWARE OF THE SLOW DECAYING PROCESS OF ROCKS. NATURE'S AGENTS, SUCH AS WIND, RAIN, PLANTS, TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS AND CHEMICAL REATIONS, ALL HELP IN BREAKING DOWN OF ROCKS. SAND AND SILT IN RIVERS ACTUALLY COME FROM THE CRUMBLING OF MOUNTAINS. BUT THE DESTRUCTIVE SCENARIO DEPICTED BY THE ABOVE VERSES HAS NO PROPORTION TO ANY ORDINARY PROCESSESS OF DECAY. THEY TAKE AGES TO COMPLETE. THEREFORE PROCESSESS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE QUOTED VERSES MUST BE MUCH MORE POWERFUL.
MECHANISM OF EXTREME EARTHQUAKES, THE VIBRATION AND GRINDING OF THE EARTH MASSESS, EXPLOSIVE RELEASE OF ENERGY AND THE FLYING OF THE MOUNTAINS INTO PIECES, CAN ALSO BE EXPLAINED BY THE HYPOTHESIS OF THE EXPLODING OF THE INTERNAL CORE OF THE EARTH. IT IS KNOWN THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE EARTH IS SUBJECT OF EXTREMELY HIGH PRESSURES, WHICH REST IN DELICATE EQUILIBRIUM. IN THIS RESPECT IT IS LIKE A SUPER HIGH PRESSURE VESSEL. IF THIS EQUILIBRIUM IS DISTURBED THE EARTH COULD EXPLODE LIKE A BOMB, WITH TREMENDOUS RELEASE OF ENERGY, COMBINED WITH EXTREME DEGREE OF VIBRATIONS, HIGH PRESSURE WAVES, SHAKE UPS AND THE EXPLOSIVE FLYING OF THE EARTH'S CRUST AND ITS MOUNTAINS IN SPACE.
EARTHQUAKES AND GREAT COMMOTION
ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS FEATURES OF THE EARTH'S DOOMSDAY, UNDERSTOOD FROM THE HOLY QURAN AND FROM THE SAYINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET IS THAT DURING THIS PHASE, THE EARTH WILL EXPERIENCE TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKES, MIGHTLY CONVULSIONS AND SEVERE VIBRATIONS, THAT WILL BREAK THE CRUST OF THE EARTH, AND, DESTROY ALL STRUCTURES AND MOUNTAINS. THEN VOLCANOES WILL BURST OVER WITH THE INTERNAL MOLTEN LAVA GUSHING OUT EVERYWHERE. THIS TERRIBLE SCENE IS VISUALIZED FROM THE FOLLOWING VERSES.
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WHEN THE EARTH,
IS SHAKEN AGAIN AND AGAIN,
TO HER UTMOST CONVULSIONS,
AND IT THROWS UP
HER BURDEN FROM WITHIN (ITS CORE)
DESCRIPTION OF THE EARTH BEING "SHAKEN AGAIN AND AGAIN" IS UNDERSTOOD TO INDICATE A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF EARTHQUAKES OF SEVERE MAGNITUDE. THE EARTH THROWS UP ITS BURDEN FROM WITHIN CRUST OF THE EARTH WILL ALSO BREAK APART. EVEN THE HEAVIER MATTER FROM THE CORE OF THE EARTH WILL BURST OUT. CURRENT SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE HAS ESTABLISHED THAT EARTHQUAKES OF INTENSITY OF ABOUT EIGHT ON RICHTER SCALE ARE HIGHLY DESASTROUS FOR ALL TYPES OF MAN-MADE STRUCTURES. AT NINE AND OVER, EARTH'S CRUST OPENS UP WITH THE BREAKING OF MOUNTAINS AND THE DISSAPPEARANCE OF RIVERS. THIS CAN TRIGGER OFF LARGE SCALE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY ALSO. WITH THE REPEATED EARTHQUAKES OF INTENSITY OVER NINE, THE EART WILL BE LEVELLED OFF, WITH EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN.
HOWEVER, A REFLECTION INTO THE VERSES GIVEN BELOW INDICATE THAT THE STATE OF THE EARTH DURING ITS DOOMSDAY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE WORSE THAN WHAT COULD BE CAUSED BY THE SIMPLE ACTION OF EARTHQUAKES. IT HAS BEEN SAID :
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ON THAT DAY'
EVERYTHING THAT
CAN BE IN COMMOTION,
WILL BEIN COMMOTION,
FOLLOWED BY OFT-REPEATED
COMMOTION".
FURTHER TO THIS, VERSE 89 POINTS TO THE SCENE OF THE EARTH BREAKING INTO SMALL PIECES.
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NAY, BUT WHEN
THE EARTH IS GROUND TO ATOMS,
GRINDING ON GRINDING".
