The Values of Crying for Imam Hussein and its Effect on Cognition-Emotion Interaction, the Neurobiological Perspective

Neurobiologically, crying is a means of expressing sadness, which indicates the height of arousal and changes the autonomic system. In this study, with an inferential review of the concepts of crying in neuroscience, psychology and the Quran and hadith, the relationship between crying for Imam Hussein (pbuh) and its healing effect on the cognitive and emotional network of the brain was investigated.

The current research is a library-based descriptive study and for data collection, the keywords crying, physiological effects of crying, neurobiological effects of crying and psychological effects of crying were used without limiting the year of publication on Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus databases. Also, Islamic texts relied on data collected from Hadith collections and the Quran, as well as Quranic and Hadith software and commentaries, which were analyzed through content analysis. The authors of the article reported no conflict of interest.

Following crying, the emotional and psychological system returns to balance and normality. Mental state shifts to negative value when humans are close to punishments or away from rewards. The emotional system will be disturbed if the negative mood or stress becomes chronic. Crying can be a way to discharge negative emotions and distress. It stimulates the activity of mirror neurons and enhances the interpersonal relationships and acts as a mechanism based on evolutionary principles to bring people closer to each other. Crying provides us with important information about the needs, social affiliations, and commitments of individuals. Victimized and bitter martyrdom of Imam Hussain (pbuh), his children and companions, and his family's captivity can make everybody weep.

Mourning and crying for Imam Hossein (pbuh) because of the beautiful rewards that God has promised, not only releases the negative emotions, but also induces positive feelings due to stimulation of the reward system. Thus a person that is crying for Imam Hossein (pbuh) will have healthier mind.