Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
M.A. in Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
3
Full Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objectives: Existential vacuum is among the factors underlying various dysfunctions; hence, meaning-centered therapy assists individuals in discovering the meaning of life and escaping ontological emptiness (Braz, Saate & Falsafi, 2023, p. 39). Gan et al. (2018) demonstrated that self-awareness training grounded in meaning-centered therapy increased hope for life among women with breast cancer; similarly, Aguinaldo and Guzman (2014) found that meaning therapy enhanced the sense of purpose in patients’ lives.
Meaning therapy employs such techniques as paradoxical intention, dereflection, attitude modification, sensitization, evocation, and Socratic dialogue. Western meaning therapists fall into two main groups: existentialist and positive-psychology-based, both of which have been criticized for utilitarian, unrealistic, and secular conceptions of meaning (Hosseini, 2023, p. … ). In Iran, two notable approaches—Tawhidi therapy and God-centered spiritual therapy—have been criticized for lack of structured frameworks (Sharifinia, 2013, p. 200) and excessive length (Ossia, 2020).
Since meaning-centered therapy is rooted in anthropology, one’s view of the human being matters: if the human is a living, God-seeking creature (ḥayy-e-muta’allih), then life and God-consciousness are intertwined, and therapy must be based on the divine nature and servanthood of the human being (Soleimani-Amiri & Mohammadi-Ahmadabadi, 2020,
140). Conversely, if the human is seen as merely confined to the body and trapped in fate, life degenerates into feeding, sleeping, and repetitive recitation (Safaie Haeri, 2022, p. 264).
Given prior research and criticisms of existing meaning-therapy approaches, it appeared necessary to identify therapeutic components based on the Islamic anthropology of Ayatollah Safaie Haeri, which is culturally close to Iranian society. Moreover, during his lifetime, Ayatollah Safaie Haeri guided many clients out of meaninglessness and revitalized their lives. Accordingly, the present study aimed to develop and validate a meaning-therapy model grounded in his viewpoint.
Method: This study was fundamental in purpose and mixed-method in nature, relying on an integration of deductive-inductive content analysis. The writings of Ayatollah Safaie Haeri were examined from a meaning-therapy perspective, and relevant components were extracted through theme analysis and systematic coding. Because of the originality of his ideas, an inductive approach was also employed to identify new categories. The preliminary set of components was reviewed and refined with feedback from experts in psychology and Islamic studies, leading to the development of a structured meaning-therapy package.
The population included all written works of Ayatollah Safaie Haeri. The sample—selected purposively—included seven of his major books (Growth, Responsibility and Construction; Man in Two Chapters; Movement; Path; Letters of Maturity; and Factors of Growth, Stagnation, and Decline) plus Hidden Thoughts, a book that offers a systemic overview of his writings.
Validation of the package was carried out in two stages:
In the first stage, Cohen’s kappa was 0.78, indicating good agreement.
In the second stage, Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was calculated based on evaluations by eleven experts in psychology and Islamic sciences; all items achieved a CVR above 0.63, leading to the removal of 22 activities.
The final meaning-therapy training package comprised nine 90-minute sessions, designed creatively around established meaning-centered interventions.
Results: Eight Main Meaning-Making Themes Identified by Ayatollah Safaie Haeri
Potential (Isti‘dād)
Movement
Understanding the Composition
Awareness of One’s Situation
Suffering
Loneliness
Death
Inner Peace
Table 1. Content Analysis of Ayatollah Safaie Haeri’s Works
No.
Category
Definition
Examples / Key Ideas
Code
1
Potential
Human resources and capacities
Unique human assets: free will, freedom, contemplation, reason, heart, spirit, conscience. Necessity of assessing potential for: transcendence, goal-setting, orientation, identity, world-awareness, eschatological awareness. Result: emergence of humanity. Two types of potential: (a) intellect & reason; (b) choice & freedom. Freedom is required for growth and responsibility; tools of freedom: curiosity & truth-seeking; the path to freedom: love & knowledge; also rationality, Qur’anic reminders, and meta-freedom—freedom from freedom.
1
2
Understanding the Composition
Self-awareness of the quality and harmony of potentials
Rules of movement: planning & commitment to revelation. Types of movement: regression, variation, growth. Goal: monotheistic growth. Pitfalls: interpersonal conflicts, self-alienation, hedonism, shallow spirituality, habituation, over-metaphysicality, doubt, nihilism. Facilitators: faith & believers.
2
3
Nihilism (Emptiness)
Breakdown or dead-end of potentials
Causes: unhealthy identity, materialism, trivial goals, mismatch of goals and means, dominance of negative emotions. Types: genuine & false. Reactions: deviance, suicide, carpe diem. Ways out: growth, divine ideals, self-regulation, awareness of vertical relations.
3
4
Awareness of One’s Situation
Awareness of one’s past, present, and future through self-knowledge
Recognition that one’s capacities and opportunities imply responsibility rather than superiority. Basis of responsibility: wise God, continuity of life, human accountability. Ways of discerning responsibility: freedom, evaluation, consultation, principle-based thinking, ontological attitude, monotheistic love, self-conception, monotheistic faith.
4
5
Suffering
Feelings arising from obstacles and dead-ends
Sources: other people, times, lack of understanding of individual differences, unbalanced growth. Gains: asceticism, growth, self-discovery, self-actualization, freedom, meta-freedom, discovery of God, ontological insight. Practical responses: experiential reflection, higher-level perspective, event-management, self-regulation. Relief through: monotheistic spirituality, monotheistic criteria, awareness of destiny (qadr), prayer, supportive parents & rich interpersonal relationships.
5
6
Loneliness
Inner sense of alienation independent of others’ presence
Harmful loneliness: disconnection from monotheism. Secret of loneliness: human existence transcends material life. Positive responses: prayer, purposeful living, growth. Negative response: suicide. Functions: metacognition, self-reflection.
6
7
Death
Transition, continuation, permanence
Functions: orientation toward the future and freedom. Type of death depends on one’s choices. Criterion: prioritizing essentials with a focus on monotheistic growth.
7
8
Inner Peace
Inner sense of confidence and assurance
Means: self-accountability, reliable support, God-centered outlook, proper attitude toward the world, monotheistic love, understanding justice and wisdom, prayer, constructive ways of dealing with life events.
8
Table 2. Outline of the Meaning-Therapy Intervention Package
Session
Title
Goal of Intervention
Session Content
Introductory
Orientation
Introducing members to one another and to the concepts of meaning and meaning therapy
Group discussion of life challenges; screening of a short film on meaning and meaning-centered therapy
1
Potential
Understanding the necessity and outcomes of assessing human potentials and their unique kinds
Film viewing, storytelling, and Socratic dialogue on human potentials
2
Understanding the Composition
Recognizing the essence, necessity, and rules of movement; types, dimensions, and pitfalls; differentiating growth from mere development
Film review and group discussion; completion of worksheets on dimensions and horizons of movement; graph-based analysis of movement pitfalls
3
Nihilism
Identifying types and causes of emptiness; reactions to it; distinguishing between feelings of futility, absurdity, and helplessness; exploring ways out
Storytelling and discussion; sharing lived experiences; group dialogue on responses to emptiness; discussion of ways to overcome it
4
Awareness of One’s Situation
Gaining general insight into the human condition; recognizing definition, foundations, and discernment of responsibility
Film screenings and discussions on the human situation, fate vs freedom, definition and bases of responsibility; group game on “Identifying My Responsibility”
5
Suffering
Understanding the nature and sources of suffering; exploring its benefits; learning adaptive reactions and ways to find relief
Image analysis to discover meaning and sources of suffering; film screening and discussion of suffering’s benefits; group games and discussion on practical reactions and relief
6
Loneliness
Understanding the nature of loneliness and its positive type; recognizing its secret, responses, and functions
Group discussion on meaning and secret of loneliness; film screening and dialogue on positive responses; role-play to contrast negative reactions with constructive, heroic responses
7
Death
Understanding the definition, functions, types, and criteria of death
Film screening and discussion; analysis of a prophetic narration (hadith) to discover benefits of death-awareness; group dialogue on types and criteria of death
8
Inner Peace
Understanding definition, criteria, tools, and benefits of peace; recognizing pitfalls of love, and appreciating justice, wisdom, and prayer
Group discussion on definition, criteria, and tools of peace; film-based dialogue on justice and wisdom; mini-lecture on love and its pitfalls; image-based discussion on prayer; integrative group game
9
Closing
Integration and conclusion
Review and wrap-up of all sessions
Discussion and Conclusion: The study identified eight components of meaning-centered therapy based on Ayatollah Safaie Haeri’s thought and examined their connections to prior research. The concepts of potential and maturity highlight the human role in shaping destiny and thus resonate with the perspectives of Mulla Sadra (Hatami, 2005, p. 190), Janbozorgi (2019, p. 48), and Sharifinia (2013, p. 239). The concept of movement aligns with Sadrian philosophy (Hatami, 2005, p. 168; Akhavat, 2015, p. 226; Janbozorgi, 2019, p. 528). The theme of awareness of one’s situation relates to responsibility as discussed by Sharifinia (2013, p. 240) and Janbozorgi et al. (2023, pp. 547–557). The affirmation of purposive creation resonates with Sharifinia (2013, p. 239).
However, Safaie Haeri’s understanding of human needs (within the theme of composition) and freedom (within potential) differs from Glasser’s notion of needs (2019, pp. 50–65) and Fromm’s concept of freedom (2006, p. 11), and his concept of growth is distinct from Rogers’ idea of growth and self-actualization (Zarshenas, 2008, p. 100). Since life does not end with death, it is rational to regulate all worldly affairs in light of the afterlife; such self-regulation orients life toward resurrection (ma‘ād). By contrast, in positive-psychology models such as Seligman’s (Abdolkarimi-Natanzai, Shahandeh & Tavakkolipour, 2021, p. 89), because death is seen as the end of life, people strive for maximum productivity and happiness.
Therefore, the meaning-therapy package based on Ayatollah Safaie Haeri’s view, aside from its ideological aspect,
offers a practical method for prevention, therapy, and personal growth.
A limitation of the present study was the scarcity of prior research extracting meaning-therapy components from Safaie Haeri’s works. The developed package can serve as a useful resource for curriculum development, addressing adolescents’ issues, and inspiring future studies.
Keywords
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