Astronomy examines the universe while psychology studies the human mind. At first, this might seem like two separate disciplines. However, historically, many scientists have been able to link the cosmos above to the human mind below. These scientists believed that human behavior, perception, and emotions were at the mercy of cosmic rhythms. Today, research confirms several of these scientists’ insights. Below are five timeless truths confirmed by science, Islamic wisdom, and some exceptional case studies.
1. Galileo: Observation and perception
Galileo went the extra step to broaden the ability to ‘see’ through a telescope. By watching ‘moons’ and ‘planets’, and performing other observations, he showed the universe is much more significant than first envisaged. His work also made a perceptive conceptual leap; observation formulates perception. And just as this proves in physics, it is true in psychology. Wherever we posit our attention is what we manipulate as our reality.
Modern neuroscience agrees. This is evident as attention filters the world. In a 2015 article, MIT research stated that the brain only registers what attention, or full focus, notes and does not include the remaining. The author’s point is: observation and perception are relative to one another; as Galileo purposefully demonstrated when he showed it was possible to see the universe in a new cosmic way.
Did you also know that Galileo’s discovery of Jupiter’s moons challenged the belief system of the Europeans for over a thousand years? What was most transformative about his discovery for psychology is that it established that perception is not a static point of view; it changes, and refers to participation with new lenses.
Read more: Einstein’s Relativity and Your Reality
2. Newton: Cosmic Laws and Human Behavior
Isaac Newton discovered the laws of motion and gravity. He demonstrated that invisible forces produce motion in planets and apples alike. Psychologists adopted this notion and proposed that invisible forces construct the avenues through which one could go as options or possible behaviors. Habits, emotions, and thoughts work together to push us in certain directions.
The Qur’an expresses a similar truth that is also dynamic; indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves (Qur’an 13:11). If orbiting planets cannot move without a force, just as fundamentally people cannot change what they are without some sort of internal force propelled by effort.
Interesting: Newton viewed that the study of nature was studying God’s design, so in a spiritual manner, a connection could be generated among physics, psychology, and cosmology.
3. Einstein: Time Relativity and Mental States
Einstein’s theory of relativity demonstrates that time bends similarly with speed and gravity. Psychologically, time bends with emotion and attention. Joy slips hours away while pain drags seconds.
A 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychology demonstrates that dopamine, especially high levels of dopamine, shortens the duration of time intervals. Low levels of dopamine, on the other hand, lengthen time intervals. This fascinating conclusion comes close to reflecting Einstein’s cosmic relativity with psychological relativity.
Islam speaks to similar truths when it states in the Qur’an: “A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of what you count” (Qur’an 22:47). Divine time behaves differently than human time, just as Einstein demonstrates.
Are you aware that astronauts age slightly slower in orbit than do the people on Earth? Their clocks tick differently. Similarly, people who have survived trauma often feel “stuck in time.” Interestingly, both cosmic and mental realities prove time is not absolute.
4. Al-Biruni: The Relationship of the Cosmos and Mind
Al-Biruni, as a great Muslim scholar, pioneered a form of study of astronomy, psychology, and philosophy in tandem. He believed that the cosmos and the human mind are mirrors of one another. For him, studying the stars was at the same time studying the soul.
Modern psychology contains echoes of this approach. Carl Jung talked about “archetypes,” universal patterns in both the cosmos and psyche. Al-Biruni made this indication centuries before Jung.
To create a real-life case study: With lunar eclipses, people across the globe report unusual dreams and heightened feelings. The researchers from Psychiatry Research (2016) demonstrated how sleep patterns shift during full moons. Al-Biruni noted a link between celestial occasions and changes taking place inwardly.
Fun fact: Al-Biruni measured Earth’s radius with astonishing accuracy based on shadows and geometry. He used a blended form of science and psychology, demonstrating how precise outward observation echoes inward.
5. Kepler: Harmony of Spheres and Mental Equilibrium
Johannes Kepler thought of the planets as moving in harmony, like a great symphony composed by God himself. He called it the “music of the spheres.” In behavioral psychology, when something is said to be harmonious, it means there is equilibrium in the human mind. When thoughts, emotions, and actions are aligned, the mind flows like cosmic music.
Modern research backs this up. A 2020 study found in Nature Neuroscience reports that the brain processes harmony in music in the same way it processes balance when making decisions. Kepler’s imagined cosmic harmony is really a reflection of psychological well-being.
Here is a real-life case study: astronauts who go on a long mission go through experiences of isolation, and NASA has determined that astronauts who maintain inner harmony through good active routines, as well as their religious/soulful practices, demonstrate superior performance to those who do not. If you are operating in a state of cosmic harmony, is there psychological harmony as well?
Do you know: Kepler’s laws of planetary motion are still in use today to travel from Earth to Mars? His belief in this cosmic balance that exists in our surroundings still influences astronomy and psychology.
The Contemporary Connection: Psychology of Starlight
To this day, science verifies the overlooked connection. Circadian rhythms – the cycles of sleep – depend on sunlight and darkness. Our psychology collapses without stars, moons, and cosmic light.
A study published in Current Biology (2013) observed that individuals exposed to natural starlight reset their biological clocks in less time. Cosmic rhythms affect the psyche, creating a direct connection to a person’s mental health.
The Qur’an states it rightly: “And He is the One who made the night and the day in succession for whoever should desire to remember or desire gratitude” (Qur’an 25:62). The circle of night and day relates to memory, mood, and gratitude.
Read more: How Starlight Changes Your Perception
Conclusion: Reuniting the Skies and the Soul
The most famous scientists in the history of humankind have never separated the study of the celestial firmament from the study of the human psyche. Galileo indicated that perception creates reality. Newton indicated that hidden, but discernible, forces dictate both the direction of the cosmos and behavior. Einstein indicated that time bows down both in space and in the mind. Al-Biruni showed the ties between stars and the soul. Kepler indicated that cosmic and psychological truth revealed harmony.
So, each time you scan the night sky, remember you are scanning your own interior world, all the very promotion of the stars shines both in the heavens as well as in the human soul.
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