A Study of the Psychological Views of Attar on the Basis of Humanism

Humanism was introduced to psychologists through Maslow and Rogers’s views in the twentieth century. This school deals with the human needs and his innate tendencies. Utopia, exalted experiences, religious experiences, high motivations and human nature are among Maslow and Rogers’s ideas. Attar, one of the greatest Muslim mystics of the 6th and 7th centuries has also considered these subjects in his poems and has tried to explain and interpret them. Many of Attar’s ideas can be explained using ideas and principles in humanism and it can be highlighted that he has tried to advance some theories in this field. In fact, it is obvious that, like many other mystics, Attar has utilized psychological concepts in his teachings, and his ideas and theories in this regard can be unraveled through scholarly research on his writings on the part of experts in psychology. On the other hand, to interpret many of the mystical ideas, it is necessary to be familiar with some theories in psychology. The present research, as a descriptive-analytical research, tries to explain Attar’s ideas about human needs, perfect man, exalted experiences and high motivation using the ideas and principles in humanism.