Cognitive Therapy and Studying the Two Cognitive Distortions (Overgeneralization and Jumping to Conclusion) Based on Masnavi Mowlavi's allegories

Today’s Man needs to learn to deal with the contradictions, conflicts, rapid and constant changes of the world, in order not to be challenged by psychological and social insecurity, and the lack of satisfaction caused by the distortion of his beliefs and cognition. The necessary skills are related to changing maladaptive views and adapting to oneself and with the outside world. What is taught in psychotherapy, in general, and in cognitive-behavioral therapies in particular is a kind of change experience, a change in the desired direction. These educations, if they fall within the framework of the constructive allegories and tales, are very effective, since through analogy, complex and difficult concepts, which are difficult to explain to individuals, are simply and objectively recreated. That is, the abstract thinking of an individual is changed to tangible concepts. Molana’s allegories presented in Masnavi, due to their proper structure, have subtle points on how to present allegory in the "text" and the "process" of the transferring concepts, as well as the linking of theoretical and abstract concepts with bright and dynamic images. In this paper, the topic of cognitive therapy and two cognitive distortions (overgeneralization and jumping to conclusion), based on several allegories related to the subject, from the first to the fourth Masnavi's chapters, are studied.