A Study Regarding Confronting the Pain of Existential Loneliness in Irvin Yalom’s Ideas and the Mystical Pain of Separation in Molavi’s View

Abstract

Irvin Yalom believes that loneliness is an existential boundary and pain which is inseparable from a human being. He comes into this world alone, leaves it alone and he alone is responsible for creating his own character; not only does he have no helper in this world, but there is no refuge for him either and he has been thrown into this world involuntarily. Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi (Molavi) also discusses the pain of loneliness, but it is not Yalomi’s type of bitter loneliness; rather, it is in the form of loneliness from one’s origin; his anguish is not from not having a refuge, rather it is the separation from God and estrangement in the world that has brought him anguish and pain. In Yalom’s view, the pain of loneliness has no solution; it is an existential issue that man must accept and he can only soothe it. But Molavi considers being with God as elimination of the pain of separation and loneliness. By presenting this research, the writes hopes to decrease the weight of loneliness through a meaningful approach. For this purpose, the article will first point out the aspects of the pain of loneliness and ultimately, will present solutions for release from this pain.

Keywords

• existential pain
• loneliness
• separation
• being thrown
• meaning