MOHAMED Ghouse Nasuruddin, in his letter (NST, April 26), wrote that we should not be “so quick to dismiss the unexplainable causes of hysteria due to the role of beings (spirits) such as jinn, ghosts and jembalang of the nether world”, which can cause behavioural changes.
He also mentioned the internal healing energy called angin, which is mentioned in the Quran.
It was the Europeans during the medieval period, who pursued the thought that behaviour-mental related illness and hysteria were due to demons disturbing humans.
Muslim scholars, during this time, who had studied the phenomena of hysteria, did not subscribe to this demon-related concept. The founder of modern medicine, Avicenna, described mental afflictions as physiologically based.
Around 915 CE, leading scholar Abu Bakr Muhammad Zakariya al-Razi introduced the concept of Islamic psychotherapy, which was based on psychology and psychiatry. His method touched on the benevolent treatment of those afflicted through musico-therapy, dance and healing talk through language (verses) from Islamic teachings.
The bio-psychosocial factors embraced in religion have proved to have a harmonising effect on the human mind and thought, thus stabilising the body, mind and spirit.
From the perspective of behavioural and occupational health, mass hysteria is attributed to stress since it is accepted that excess stress causes damaging effects to the human body.
Besides stress, lack of sleep and proper relaxation leads to a blurring of the mental faculties and jerky physical behaviour that has possible manifestations.
Sleep was studied thoroughly by al-Razi and he suggested a short afternoon nap (not sleep) to relax the body and refresh the mind. When the Europeans copied al-Razi’s medical discoveries, they were the first to implement the afternoon nap.
The body also needs sufficient water to stay alert, reminded al-Razi. Even a slight drop in body fluids lowers performance and causes anxiety, delirium or hysteria.
Al-Razi’s most successful psychotherapeutic technique to heal hysteria was his notion of language-related healing based on what is halal and haram. By this, he meant language that spurs hate, fear, threat, intimidation, revenge, rivalry and jealousy are incompatible with human thoughts.
From my own experience in dealing with some hysteria-stricken employees, I noticed that their vocal tics were altered and they emulated the person they hated or disliked most.
Did this mean they were overpowered by the stronger negative forces and were struggling to get rid of that or was it due to their loss of identity?
My primary school teacher who taught me about khabar angin said khabar angin was the kata-kata dari luar and through work, I came to understand the presence of the internal healing energy called angin, since thoughts and words were forms of ether.
I have also come to accept the existence of demons and jinns as they do exist and live to disturb humans. The Bible reminds us of demons, the Quran cautions us about jinns and the Mahabaratha warns us about dustan (the evildoer). If so, is the absence of love becoming a disease of the mind?
MENA JEYARAM, Subang Jaya, Selangor