Unconventional Duha Research Unitary

Khushu in Islamic prayer (ṣalah) denotes a state of deep attentiveness, humility, and tranquility before Allah.

While primarily a spiritual state, emerging evidence from neuroscience, cardiology, and psychology suggests that the embodied practices of prayer—including gaze fixation, heart regulation, and brain oscillations—create synchrony across physiological systems that supports this state.

This paper proposes a neuro-spiritual model of khushu, demonstrating how the eye, heart, and brain interconnect to cultivate sustained presence and humility before the Divine.

Khushu is mentioned in the Qur’an as a hallmark of the believers:

“Certainly will the believers have succeeded: They who are during their prayer humbly submissive (khāshiʿūn).” Qur’an 23:1–2

From a spiritual perspective, khushū‘ represents attentiveness, humility, and absorption in worship. From a scientific perspective, it may be understood as a multi-level integration of sensory attention, autonomic regulation, and cognitive-emotional alignment. This paper integrates insights from neuroscience, cardiology, and psychology to frame khushū‘ as a state of synchrony among the eye, heart, and brain.

Eye: Visual Fixation and Attentional Control

Islamic prayer prescribes lowering the gaze, particularly to the place of prostration. This has implications for attentional networks:

• Gaze fixation stabilizes the dorsal attention network, reducing distraction by irrelevant stimuli (Corbetta & Shulman, 2002).
• Oculomotor control is linked to the prefrontal cortex, which mediates executive attention and inhibitory control (Munoz & Everling, 2004).
• Studies in contemplative practices show that gaze stabilization reduces mind-wandering and promotes internal focus (Brandmeyer & Delorme, 2021).

Thus, directing the eyes to the point of sujūd serves both spiritual humility and neurocognitive stability.

Heart: Cardiac Coherence and Emotional Regulation

The Qur’an repeatedly connects tranquility (sakīnah) and remembrance of Allah to the heart:

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” Qur’an 13:28

Cardiology research reveals:

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): A marker of parasympathetic regulation. Higher HRV is associated with emotional regulation and attentional control (Thayer et al., 2012).
• Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia: Rhythmic breathing during prayer (especially in recitation) optimizes vagal tone, synchronizing cardiovascular rhythms (Bernardi et al., 2001).
• Heart-Brain Coupling: The vagus nerve enables bidirectional communication, where heart states influence emotional perception and cognition (McCraty & Childre, 2010).

Thus, the rhythmic recitation and bodily movements of ṣalāh entrain the heart into coherence, facilitating tranquility and emotional regulation.

Brain: Neural Oscillations and Presence

Khushū‘ reflects a state of attentional absorption. Neuroscience of prayer and meditation suggests:

• Alpha and Theta Oscillations: Associated with inward attention, memory consolidation, and reduced sensory interference (Cahn & Polich, 2006).
• Default Mode Network (DMN) Suppression: Mind-wandering and ego-centric thought are reduced when attentional focus is stabilized in worship (Brewer et al., 2011).
• Fronto-parietal Integration: Sustained attention and cognitive control networks align with affective regulation, producing holistic presence (Tang et al., 2015).

Khushū‘ may thus be understood as a dynamic synchronization of brain rhythms that align cognition, emotion, and embodied focus.

Neuro-Spiritual Model of Khushū‘

The evidence suggests that khushū‘ in prayer emerges from the interaction of three systems:

1. Eye → Attention: Visual fixation reduces distraction, anchoring awareness.
2. Heart → Emotion: Cardiac coherence regulates affective states, supporting humility and tranquility.
3. Brain → Cognition: Neural oscillations align focus and inhibit intrusive thoughts.

Together, these produce a state of synchrony—neuro-spiritually aligning the worshipper’s faculties with the act of divine remembrance.

Khushū‘ is not merely a spiritual abstraction but an embodied state grounded in synchrony across physiological systems. The integration of gaze fixation, cardiac coherence, and neural oscillatory dynamics reflects how ṣalāh harmonizes human faculties toward humility and presence before Allah. This model not only deepens our understanding of worship but also suggests broader therapeutic implications for attentional disorders, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.

References

1. Bernardi, L., Sleight, P., Bandinelli, G., et al. (2001). Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: Comparative study. BMJ, 323(7327), 1446–1449.
2. Brandmeyer, T., & Delorme, A. (2021). Meditation and neurofeedback. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 643.
3. Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., et al. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. PNAS, 108(50), 20254–20259.
4. Cahn, B. R., & Polich, J. (2006). Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies. Psychological Bulletin, 132(2), 180–211.
5. Corbetta, M., & Shulman, G. L. (2002). Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(3), 201–215.
6. McCraty, R., & Childre, D. (2010). Coherence: Bridging personal, social, and global health. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 16(4), 10–24.
7. Munoz, D. P., & Everling, S. (2004). Look away: The anti-saccade task and the voluntary control of eye movement. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5(3), 218–228.
8. Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225.
9. Thayer, J. F., Åhs, F., Fredrikson, M., et al. (2012). A meta-analysis of heart rate variability and neuroimaging studies: Implications for HRV as a marker of stress and health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(2), 747–756.