I shall begin this autobiographical account with what I believe may be of value to the esteemed reader…

A question that has preoccupied my mind throughout my years of study—whether in the university or in the seminary—and still remains with me, first arose during my middle school years:

What is existence, and who is the human being?

Naturally, no definitive or systematic answer was readily available. The responses that were offered came from diverse perspectives—religious, philosophical, scientific, artistic, and mystical. Throughout the various stages of my academic and intellectual journey, I sought answers to those two questions within these five domains. It did not take long before I realized that these five constitute the fundamental pillars of human culture. My passion for learning and exploring each of them was equal and indivisible; I could not confine myself to only one or two.

Thus, while respecting the principles of formal academic training, I came to see little room for creativity in restricting myself to predetermined, narrow, and prescriptive knowledge. By freeing myself from what I regarded as directed and limited information, I dedicated my efforts to enriching my perspective across the essential foundations of religion, philosophy, science, mysticism, and art. Once this perspective began to mature, I shared it widely with numerous students and scholars, both through formal teaching in various faculties and, at their request, through special lectures and private seminars.

The outcome of my lifelong engagement in learning and teaching has convinced me that, to truly enter the realm of human culture, one must become acquainted with all five domains—religion, philosophy, mysticism, science, and art. While it is natural that one cannot achieve equal expertise in more than one or two of these fields, meaningful engagement with human culture demands a comprehensive outlook, without which success is unlikely.

Since sound brain function underlies all human achievements, in the present phase of my life my attention has been increasingly drawn to psychological inquiry into the workings of the human brain. Undoubtedly, the study of the brain’s capacities is among the most fascinating pursuits within psychology. This exploration can be approached from many angles, and indeed, the five-million-year history of human civilization itself is a reflection of the brain’s capacities.

The generation of ideas, and their realization in practice, forms the very fabric of human civilization. In this spirit, my teaching began with courses in brain-based education—illustrating how ideas may take shape and become embodied—providing a gateway to the study of both the contemporary world and the contemporary human being. After offering several series of lectures under these themes, I then turned to the question, How can we become truly contemporary? This led to teaching modules on brain productivity systems and human self-discovery. Subsequently, I presented the most essential codes derived from modern psychology and neuroscience under the title Codic Psychology, designed to illuminate pathways toward a better life.

The capacities of the human brain must be studied in relation to one another; only in this way can its true power be partially grasped and the grandeur of human thought appreciated. Whether as a learner or as a teacher in academic settings, this conviction has consistently guided me. Over the past four decades, I have examined the powers of the brain through five dimensions—thinking, experience, belief, perspective, and beauty—and my dialogues with both eminent scholars and dedicated students have always aimed at uncovering the deeper range of human cognitive capacities.

The available audio, visual, and written records of my lectures and academic presentations may be grouped into five major categories. Together they comprise several thousand hours of teaching, reflecting a holistic view of the structures of human intellectual capacity. These include:

1. Thinking Files (Philosophical Lectures)

1. Understanding Philosophy, or the Nature of Thought
2. Introduction to Western Philosophy
3. Rational-Experiential Ontology
4. Complex Modes of Thought
5. Human, Nature, and Thought
6. Epistemology

1. Experience Files (Scientific Lectures)

1. The Nature of Science, or Philosophy of Science
2. Methodology and Systematic Approaches
3. The Method of Better Thinking (Psychocybernetics)
4. Contemporary Foundations of General Psychology
5. Existential Psychology
6. Codic Psychology
7. Brain Productivity Systems
8. Economic Terminology
9. Typology of Success in Economics
10. Conceptual Building Blocks of Economic Success
11. Psychology of the Self in the Workplace
12. Psychology of Stagnation

1. Belief Files (Religious Lectures)

1. Philosophy of Religion, or the Nature of Theology
2. Contemporary Theology
3. Systematic Qur’anic Studies

1. Perspective Files (Mystical Lectures)

1. Techniques of Meta-Thinking
2. Systems of Self-Discovery
3. Understanding the Language of Nature
4. Understanding the Contemporary World
5. Understanding the Contemporary Human Being
6. Foundations of Human Personality Development

1. Beauty Files (Artistic Lectures)

1. Philosophy, or the Nature of Art
2. Aesthetics
3. Classical and Modern Stylistics
4. Principles of Artistic Creativity
5. Human, Nature, and Architecture
6. Theoretical Foundations of Architecture
7. Introduction to Contemporary Architecture in Iran and the World
8. Architecture and Modernity
9. Evolution of Residential Complexes
10. Playwriting and Introduction to Acting Systems
11. Introduction to Research Methods and Methodology

These files are the product of my teaching and research activities across numerous academic institutions both within Iran including the universities of Tehran, Mashhad, Qom, and Shiraz, as well as many private cultural and research centers and abroad, in research and academic institutions in Italy, Greece, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

In collaboration with interested students and researchers, these materials will eventually be transcribed, edited, and compiled into an encyclopedic volume on the diverse functions of the human brain. Such a work, it is hoped, will encourage a holistic appreciation of the brain’s inexhaustible capacities and inspire us to make fuller use of the vast potential within.

Mohammad-Javad Azimi