This study, seeks to address the neglect of the spiritual dimension in Western psychology, and argues that in the idea and practice of contemplation (tafakkur) we have a powerful tool, linking the mind with heart and ‘soul’. Through contemplation, particularly in the reflection of God, we can reach deep into the psyche to bring solace and healing to psychological disorders afflicting mankind, and which are better thought of as a ‘sickness of the soul’. Badri profiles many elements of contemplation, including its historical demise, makeup in Eastern traditions, and even a nascent return to these philosophical aspects in modern psychology. However, it is in the Islamic tradition that contemplation becomes tafakkur. That is it transmutes into so much more, a path to self-knowledge that becomes a quest for healing through an inner vision of God as the object of our search and devotion, than healing through the silencing of negativity, and a focus on the conceptual understanding of, and our place in, the wider universe.
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