– RGS Scholar Series –

Introduction to a Sufi Psychology

with Dr. Adnan Aslan

Course Date: January 12 – March 2, 2021

Course Description

Sufism is an Islamic mysticism. The essence of Sufism is love and sincerity. It has established a method through which one can seek spiritual and moral education. According to the Sufi psychology, there are inner senses that awaken the person who go through Sufi practices such as heart, spirit, self, and the secret etc. These are dissimilar to our outer senses such as seeing hearing, touching, testing, and smelling. In this course we are going to examine each of our inner senses in order to discover their potentiality that could lead to set up a Sufi psychology as a moral science.

Objectives of Course

shadow-woman-standing-keep-her-head-posing

The primary objective of this course is to make the students familiar to Sufi epistemology. Could awakening the inner senses generate or initiate a transcendental spiritual experience in addition to sense experience?

Secondly, it also aims to make aware of the great spiritual potentiality of human self. Thirdly, it will aim to show a relationship between Sufi practices and the inner tranquility of a person which is one of the indispensable sources for happiness.

hands prayer

January 12 - March 2 Every Tuesday

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM (EST)

Tuition Fee:
$100

Course Schedule

1st Week

January 12

Heart

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol I, p. 83-89.

2nd Week

January 19

Spirit and Beyond 4

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

3rd Week

January 26

The Secret (Sirr)

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

4th Week

February 2

Self I

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

5th Week

February 9

Self II

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

6th Week

February 16

Conscience I

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

7th Week

February 23

Universal Man (İnsan-ı Kâmil)

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

8th Week

March 2

Reason (Akl)

Gülen, “Emerald Hills of the Heart” Vol 4, p.

About Instructor

Professor Dr. Adnan Aslan

He was born in Turkey, educated in Turkey and England. Received MA degree at Kings College London in 1990 and PhD degree at Lancaster University in England in 1995. He has published scholarly articles and books both in English and Turkish. His main interest includes the issue of religious pluralism, inter-religious dialogue, İslam and modernity and perennial philosophy. He worked in various universities in Turkey. He was the dean of faculty of humanities and social sciences at Süleyman Şah University in Istanbul. He was an adjunct professor at the department of philosophy at Notre Dame University and a faculty associate at Indiana University of South Bend.