Qabasat

Qabasat

From the Anxiety of Isolation to the Serenity of Presence: A Phenomenological Re-reading of Existential Isolation in the Light of God’s Ontological Proximity in the Quran (A Case Study of the 'Jugular Vein' Metaphor)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
jamaleddin kazemi golvardi 1
mohammadreza kazemi golvardi 2
1 M.A. in General Psychology, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Fiqh and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
10.22034/qabasat.2026.2050608.2497
Abstract
Objective: Existential isolation is one of the ultimate concerns in existential psychotherapy, referring to an unbridgeable gap between the individual and the world. This study aims to provide a phenomenological explanation of the experience of existential loneliness in the light of the Quranic doctrine of "Divine Proximity," with reference to Surah Qaf, Verse 16.

Method: Using a descriptive-analytical method based on library resources, this research compares the perspectives of theorists such as Irvin Yalom with the interpretative and ontological foundations of the verse "And We are closer to him than his jugular vein."

Findings: The findings indicate that while in horizontal (interpersonal) relationships, loneliness is an inescapable reality, in the vertical dimension (the relationship with the Creator), the concept of "Habal al-Warid" introduces a pure transcendental presence situated within the subject itself. This presence empties loneliness of its "void and isolation" meaning and transforms it into "perfecting solitude."

Conclusion: The results suggest that awareness of God's ontological proximity breaks the deadlock of loneliness in existential psychology and transforms the anxiety of abandonment into the certainty of connection. This approach can serve as a therapeutic model for giving meaning to existential suffering in theistic societies.
Keywords
Existential Isolation
Existential Psychotherapy
Divine Proximity
Jugular Vein (Habal al-Warid)
Surah Qaf
Qabasat

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 August 2026