A Comparison of the Definition of Intelligence in Psychology and Psymentology

Abstract

Psymentology, or the supra-holistic approach to the study of the mind (mento) and psyche (psychology), is an Iranian complementary medicine founded by Mohammad Ali Taheri that identifies the mind and the psyche as distinct and separate from one another. Psymentology holds a very broad and supra-holistic view of human beings and the universe and aims to identify the various existential dimensions of the mind as well as the psyche and to heal the maladies related to both. In psychology, what is known as IQ (Intelligence Quotient), representing the potential of learning, computation, language, comprehension, memory, and abstract reasoning, from the standpoint of Psymentology, are considered “Wisdom” (Aql) or “Apparent Intelligence” that are aspects of Wisdom (Aql) and are called WQ (Wisdom Quotient). In Psymentolgoy, “creativity” is defined as the “Inner Intelligence” (Bātin), a potential in all humans that needs to be activated. This activation requires a high degree of thirst for knowledge and discovery of Truth, in addition to other measures. According to the Theory of Intelligence in Psymentology, Intelligence is the ability to create and bring about new information in various fields; Wisdom (Aql), on the other hand, is the ability to apply, make use of, and utilize anything; while Memory is the ability to store and recall information. The ability to memorize information and events and the recollection of them is represented as MQ (Memory Quotient), which in Psymentology, unlike in psychology, is not considered among the faculties of Wisdom (Aql), but it does function in relation to Wisdom and Intelligence. Most current education systems are based on a memory-oriented approach that relies on rote memorization of the material. However, it is imperative for the education systems to be creativity-oriented if they are to foster the growth and development of individuals and help human societies thrive and flourish. For this to occur, it is necessary to activate the creative potential in children and adolescents, which is not activated through simple memorization of content; otherwise, their mental capabilities will gradually diminish over time and will be replaced by stereotypical teachings that are dry and devoid of any creative spark. Although with respect to scientific discoveries, human intuition is known to have elicited creativity, to this day, no method has been proposed to cultivate and enhance this faculty. Psymentology aims to introduce novel methods to make accessing constructive and productive insights and intuitions possible that would promote human growth and evolution and would lead to the activation of the creative genius in individuals and the emergence of new ideas in various areas of knowledge.