Human and Foundations of Islamic and Western Ontology: A Study of the Thought of Irvin Yalom and Allama Jafari

Two distinct intellectual traditions-existential psychology and Islamic philosophy-have independently explored human existence and fundamental anxieties. Comparing them enables deeper analysis of key concepts like death, freedom, loneliness, and meaninglessness, laying groundwork for an integrative, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural approach in human psychology. This study uses a comparative analysis to examine fundamental anxieties amid today’s crisis of meaning and isolation, contrasting the views of Irvin Yalom (existential psychotherapy) and Allama Mohammad-Taqi Jafari (Islamic philosophy).The research aims to analyze similarities and differences between the two perspectives and evaluate their use in spiritually-focused therapy, education, and modern life philosophies, promoting civilizational dialogue, indigenous knowledge renewal, and critique of modernity’s dehumanizing effects.Findings indicate that Yalom offers an individual-focused psychotherapeutic model emphasizing introspection and meaning, while Jafari proposes ontological solutions restoring human connections with God, existence, self, and others. Yalom’s approach suits modern therapy; Jafari’s aids spiritual reconstruction, enabling theoretical integration and spiritually-informed interventions. The analysis aims to highlight the points of convergence and divergence between the two approaches, paving the way for a dialogue between existential psychology and Islamic philosophy, thereby contributing to the development of therapeutic approaches and the strengthening of meaning-making in addressing contemporary existential crises.