What you seek is seeking you

Today is December 1st… the first day of the final month of the year. As another journey nears its end, it’s time to listen to the quiet truths whispered by our soul. Every season carries a story, and every moment holds a lesson.

What has this year taught you? Which challenges came wrapped with hidden gifts? And which moments allowed you to feel the love in your heart more deeply?

Remember, the past asks to be remembered with gratitude, not regret. The future awaits to be met with surrender, not fear. Life unfolds its beauty when you choose to flow in harmony with it.

Today, open a door within your heart and set this intention:
“Dear life, guide me to your truth.”

Everything happens when you are ready. Let this month mark the beginning of that surrender and your inner journey.

With love and light,
Hakan

🇬🇧 English

Hakan Mengüç is an internationally renowned author whose books have been translated into 13 different languages. His works have remained on bestseller lists in many countries for months. Mengüç is not only known for his writing but also has a large following for his Sufi music. Masterfully playing the mystical Sufi flute Ney, Mengüç also excels on the piano, touching the souls of music lovers with his numerous compositions. His art is a magical fusion of words and melodies, resonating universally.

🇨🇳 Chinese

Hakan Mengüç 是一位国际知名的作家，他的书籍已被翻译成13种不同的语言。他的作品在许多国家的畅销书排行榜上停留了数月之久。Mengüç不仅以写作著称，还因其苏菲音乐而拥有大量粉丝。精通神秘的苏菲长笛Ney的演奏，Mengüç在钢琴上的造诣也令人瞩目，他的众多作品触动了音乐爱好者的心灵。他的艺术是文字与旋律的魔幻结合，在全球范围内产生共鸣。

🇪🇸 Spanish

Hakan Mengüç es un autor de renombre internacional cuyos libros han sido traducidos a 13 idiomas diferentes. Sus obras han permanecido en las listas de bestsellers de muchos países durante meses. Mengüç no solo es conocido por su escritura, sino que también tiene una gran cantidad de seguidores por su música sufí. Tocando magistralmente la flauta sufí mística Ney, Mengüç también sobresale en el piano, tocando las almas de los amantes de la música con sus numerosas composiciones. Su arte es una fusión mágica de palabras y melodías, resonando universalmente.

🇮🇳 Hindi

हाकन मेंगूच एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय ख्याति प्राप्त लेखक हैं जिनकी पुस्तकों का 13 विभिन्न भाषाओं में अनुवाद किया गया है। उनकी रचनाएँ कई देशों में महीनों तक बेस्टसेलर सूची में बनी रहती हैं। मेंगूच न केवल अपनी लेखनी के लिए जाने जाते हैं बल्कि सूफी संगीत के लिए भी उनकी बड़ी प्रशंसक संख्या है। रहस्यमय सूफी बांसुरी ने को कुशलता से बजाने वाले मेंगूच, पियानो में भी उत्कृष्ट हैं और अपनी अनेक रचनाओं से संगीत प्रेमियों की आत्मा को छूते हैं। उनका कला शब्दों और धुनों का जादुई संगम है, जो सार्वभौमिक रूप से गूंजता है।

🇫🇷 French

Hakan Mengüç est un auteur de renommée internationale dont les livres ont été traduits en 13 langues différentes. Ses œuvres sont restées pendant des mois dans les listes des best-sellers de nombreux pays. Mengüç est non seulement connu pour son écriture, mais aussi pour sa grande base de fans de musique soufie. Jouant magistralement la flûte soufie mystique Ney, Mengüç excelle également au piano, touchant les âmes des amateurs de musique avec ses nombreuses compositions. Son art est une fusion magique de mots et de mélodies, résonnant universellement.

🇦🇪 Arabic

حكان منغوتش هو مؤلف ذو شهرة عالمية تُرجمت كتبه إلى 13 لغة مختلفة. ظلت أعماله على قوائم الكتب الأكثر مبيعًا في العديد من البلدان لعدة أشهر. منغوتش معروف ليس فقط بكتاباته بل لديه أيضًا قاعدة جماهيرية كبيرة لموسيقاه الصوفية. يعزف ببراعة على الناي الصوفي الغامض، كما يتميز في العزف على البيانو، ويلامس قلوب عشاق الموسيقى بتأليفاته العديدة. فنه هو مزيج سحري من الكلمات والألحان، ويبعث صدى عالميًا.

🇷🇺 Russian

Хакан Менгюч — всемирно известный автор, книги которого переведены на 13 разных языков. Его работы на протяжении нескольких месяцев оставались в списках бестселлеров во многих странах. Менгюч известен не только своими произведениями, но и большим количеством поклонников его суфийской музыки. Мастерски играя на мистической суфийской флейте Ней, Менгюч также виртуозно играет на пианино и трогает души любителей музыки своими многочисленными композициями. Его искусство — это волшебное сочетание слов и мелодий, находящее отклик по всему миру.

🇮🇹 Italian

Hakan Mengüç è un autore di fama internazionale i cui libri sono stati tradotti in 13 lingue diverse. Le sue opere sono rimaste per mesi nelle liste dei bestseller di molti paesi. Mengüç è conosciuto non solo per i suoi scritti, ma anche per la sua vasta base di fan della musica sufi. Suonando magistralmente il mistico flauto sufi Ney, Mengüç eccelle anche al pianoforte, toccando l’anima degli amanti della musica con le sue numerose composizioni. La sua arte è una fusione magica di parole e melodie che risuona universalmente.

Il famoso tenore italiano Andrea Bocelli e Hakan Mengüç

Renowned Author and Neyzen Hakan Mengüç Gives Private Sufi Flute Ney Lesson to World-Famous Tenor Andrea Bocelli

Meeting in the Backstage

Before his concert at Beşiktaş Stadium, world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli had a unique encounter with renowned author and neyzen Hakan Mengüç. The meeting took place in Bocelli’s dressing room, where Mengüç introduced the artist to the Sufi philosophy and presented him with a ney, a traditional Turkish flute.

Bocelli’s First Attempt at Playing the Ney

Fascinated by the instrument, Bocelli attempted to play the ney for the first time. His genuine interest in the ney was evident as he tried to produce its distinctive sound. Mengüç then played the ney, and Bocelli was deeply moved by the mystical tones.

An Inspirational Encounter

Impressed by the music, Bocelli expressed his desire to learn the ney. This special interaction between the two artists was a heartfelt and inspirational moment, beautifully captured before Bocelli’s much-anticipated concert.

WHO İS HAKAN MENGUC?

Hakan Mengüç is a renowned author, composer, and academician who is well-known by a wide audience both in Turkey and around the world. He has published 9 books, which have been translated into 13 different languages in a short amount of time.

The author has successfully adapted his teachings, based on the fundamentals of Sufi philosophy, to the modern age. In addition, he is both an academician and the president of the Sufi Academy, which was established under the auspices of the Girne American University.

Alongside his notable work as an author, Hakan Mengüç is also prominent for his music and composition skills. He is a renowned ney virtuoso and pianist.

Imagine embarking on a journey back in time, finding yourself 200 years ago. As a monarch, you possess all the wealth and power imaginable, yet you lack many of the conveniences a modern-day individual takes for granted. Your riches and royal title could not, in those times, grant you the convenience of traveling by bus or the comfort of flying in an airplane. Today, thanks to modern advancements, the concepts of time and space are redefined at an astonishing pace. Traveling from one city to another, or to a different country, can now be accomplished in just a few hours.

For instance, a journey from Istanbul to New York, which is merely an 11-hour flight today, would have been an arduous, time-consuming process 200 years ago in the 1800s. This journey would involve traveling by horse-drawn carriages to Western Europe, then crossing the Atlantic Ocean by sailing ship, and finally traversing the American continent westward on horseback or by wagon. This trip could take months or even more than a year, depending on conditions.

200 years ago, there were no such things as electricity, refrigerators, many medicines, cars, or airplanes. So, despite all these absences, why did people feel happier?

According to reports by the World Health Organization, the number of people experiencing depression is increasing day by day, reaching significant levels compared to the previous century. However, some experts suggest that part of this increase may be due to previously inadequate diagnostic practices.

Yet, when we look back at the environment of our childhood, we might realize that people were not as happy as they used to be. It’s insufficient to attribute this merely to nostalgia. From my own experiences, I remember; many days of the week, either our neighbors would visit us, or we would visit them. Social connections provided opportunities for sharing burdens, helping each other, and standing together during tough times.

I conducted a brief research on why people might have been happier in the past and identified several factors. Let’s explore these factors together and draw personal lessons:

A) Expectations and Comparison

Social media and other communication channels allow people to constantly observe others’ lives and make comparisons with their own. This habit of constant comparison can increase feelings of personal dissatisfaction and lead people to view their own lives in a negative light. In the past, people’s comparisons were limited to their communities or immediate surroundings, keeping expectations realistic and attainable.

Reasons why comparisons can be harmful include:

• Unrealistic Expectations: Content shared on social media often reflects people’s best moments, achievements, or idealized lifestyles, leading to unrealistic expectations and disappointment when confronted with our own realities.
• Emotional Burden: Constantly comparing ourselves to others can trigger negative emotional states like jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, and lower self-esteem.
• Diminished Capacity to Live in the Moment: Being in the habit of continually evaluating our lives against others’ can prevent us from enjoying the present and celebrating our own achievements and happiness.
• Obstacle to Personal Growth: Comparisons can distract from focusing on our values, goals, and interests, negatively affecting personal development and self-actualization.

B) Simplicity and Complexity

In the past, people engaged in clear and tangible tasks for daily survival; activities like farming, day-to-day chores, and securing shelter formed the basis of their struggle for existence. Such tasks provided clear goals and immediate satisfaction upon achievement, establishing a direct relationship between efforts and tangible outcomes, fostering a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

Conversely, the complexity of modern life has changed how individuals navigate their existence. Advances in technology, globalization, and increased societal expectations have made daily life more complex. Continuously changing goals in work and personal life can make it challenging for individuals to determine what is truly important. In the modern world, the outcomes of our efforts and achievements are often long-term and fraught with uncertainties, creating an environment where instant gratification is diminished, and the concrete metrics of success are blurred.

This complexity can increase individuals’ unhappiness by:

• Difficulty in Making Decisions: Life’s complexities necessitate constant decision-making, leading to stress, indecision, and regret.
• Deferred Gratification: Achieving goals in the modern world often takes time and patience, reducing motivation and satisfaction.
• Uncertainty of Values: In contemporary society, what is valued is constantly changing, causing difficulties in focusing and leading to dissatisfaction and anxiety when contemplating life’s meaning and purpose.

C) Social Bonds and Loneliness

In ancient societies, people tended to live within tight-knit communities that offered mutual support, security, and a sense of belonging, strengthening bonds among individuals. These communities provided economic, emotional, and social support, uniting during hard times and sharing joys. This was a natural part of individuals’ social networks and interactions, significantly reducing feelings of loneliness.

In modern society, however, individualism and the tendency to live alone have become more prevalent, especially due to urbanization, changes in family structure, and technological advancements. Social media and digital communication tools, while replacing face-to-face interactions, can weaken real social bonds and create a misleading sense of connection. Consequently, the number of deep and meaningful relationships decreases, and feelings of social isolation and loneliness increase.

D) Physical Activity

In the past, daily life required physical activity. Basic survival activities like agriculture, hunting, and gathering kept people constantly moving. Such levels of physical activity improved heart health, flexibility, and overall physical endurance, while reducing stress and providing psychological benefits like better sleep quality.

However, today’s lifestyle is more sedentary. Many people spend long hours sitting for work or education, which can lead to physical health issues. Additionally, the lack of physical activity can lead to mood fluctuations, increased risk of anxiety and depression, and negatively affect mental health, depriving individuals of the positive effects on stress management and emotional resilience.

In these contexts, the reduction of social bonds and physical activity are among the challenges brought by modern life, significantly affecting individuals’ happiness and overall well-being. To combat these issues, spending more time in the community, strengthening social relationships, and incorporating regular physical activity into one’s lifestyle are crucial.

The Impact of Perceived Time on Physical Healing

An intriguing piece of research from the scientific community: Psychologists Peter Aungle and Ellen Langer from Harvard University conducted a study revealing that perceived time significantly influences the healing of physical wounds. Published in the Scientific Reports journal in 2023, this research takes a new dimension in examining the effects of psychological processes on physical health.

The study was carried out by inflicting minor, painless wounds on volunteer participants. Their perception of time was altered in a laboratory setting: Slow Time (0.5x real time), Normal Time (1x real time), and Fast Time (2x real time). Under these three different conditions, the healing processes of the wounds were observed. Interestingly, when participants believed more time had passed, the wounds healed faster. Conversely, when they believed less time had passed, the healing process was slower.

To simplify, a group of scientists conducted an experiment. In the experiment, small, painless wounds were made on some people. Then, these people were made to believe they were experiencing different durations in the laboratory. For example, one group was told “an hour has passed” when in reality only half an hour had passed. This is the “Slow Time” experiment. Another group was correctly told “1 hour has passed,” representing “Normal Time.” Finally, a group was told “2 hours have passed,” though in reality, it was only an hour. This is known as “Fast Time.” Then, scientists looked at how people’s wounds healed under these different perceptions of time. Interestingly, the wounds of the people in the “2 hours passed” group actually healed in just one hour. But in the group told “half an hour passed,” the healing took longer. Thus, the more time people thought had passed, the faster their wounds healed. This experiment shows how much people’s thoughts can help in the healing of their bodies.

These findings open new doors to more deeply explore the interactions between the mind and body and their effects on health. Traditionally, the effects of psychological factors on physical health have been evaluated through emotional states (for instance, stress, inflammation, and immune functions) and behaviors (for instance, beliefs that promote healthy actions). However, this research shows that abstract beliefs we hold about our bodies can also directly shape our physical health.

This study presents a strong argument for a more comprehensive assessment of the “unity” concept of mind and body and its effects on health. The researchers propose that psychological factors have a broader range of effects on physical health, thereby offering a new direction for future research in this area.

This research challenges traditional approaches in the health field and encourages us to consider the potential impacts of the mind-body connection on our health more comprehensively. The increasing presence of such research both in academic circles and in the general understanding of health is promising.

References:

“Perceived time has an actual effect on physical healing, study finds” – Harvard University, Scientific Reports (2023).
Peter Aungle et al., “Physical healing as a function of perceived time”, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-5000

Hakan Mengüç’s “Awakening of the Heart” Seminar Draws Major Interest in Germany (16-17-18 February 2024)

Renowned author, composer, and academic Hakan Mengüç garnered significant acclaim with his “Awakening of the Heart” seminar in leading German cities such as Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Mannheim. Incorporating performances on the Ney and piano into his program, Mengüç offered participants a unique sense of peace through his impressive presentations on Sufi philosophy.

The rapid sell-out of this seminar series demonstrated that Hakan Mengüç has a wide following not only in Turkey but also internationally. The intense interest in the seminars highlighted the universal appeal of Mengüç’s content and his ability to bridge different cultures.

These seminars in Germany are considered a significant step forward in establishing Mengüç as a key figure in cultural interaction and spiritual teaching, as well as in promoting Sufi philosophy and Turkish music worldwide. Mengüç’s seminars not only provide rich information and music but also underscore the unifying power of different cultures and schools of thought.