The First Symposium on Mysticism of the Neuroendocrinology in Iran
Dr. Laily Mahoozi the founder of Attar Foundation in Iran organized the first symposium on mysticism of the Neuroendocrinology on 25th April-5th May, 2016 in Tehran, Neyshapur, Shiraz, and Isfahan.
Many brilliant scientists, researchers, and professors from US and Europe attended this symposium to deliver speeches on the relations between Mysticism and science. They also enjoyed beauty and rich history of Iran during their visit to the four cities.
Dr. Laily Mahoozi is a scientist and an artist who has always made innovative efforts to bridge science and art. Dr. Laily lives in Tehran and on her last project she drew the relations between the seven hormones discharged by the Hypophysis in human brain to the seven love cities in Attar of Neshapur’s poetry.
Attar of Neishapur was a Persian poet, author, and theoretician of Sufism of 12th and 13th century. In his Mantik ut-Teir (The Parliament of Birds) book that is 4500 lines of Sufi poetry Attar states the story of thirty birds who decided to travel the world to find the legendary Simorgh, a mythical Persian bird, to make him their king.
The birds must cross seven valleys to find the Simorgh and each bird represents a human fault that stops him from achieving enlightenment. The seven valleys are Yearning, Love, Gnosis, Detachment, Unity of God, Bewilderment and, Selflessness and Oblivion in God. This is the same journey that a Sufi or any individual who wants to understand the true nature of God must go through.
This is how Dr. Laily Mahoozi relates the seven valleys with the hormones:
Yearning valley with Testosterone hormone LH-FSH
Love valley with Prolactin hormone
Gnosis valley with Growth hormone
Detachment with ADH hormone
Unity of God with Oxytocin hormone
Bewilderment with TSH hormone
Selflessness and Oblivion in God with the hormone that is in charge of Corticosteroids in body
The extraordinary physician scientist Dr. Michael Thorner who discovered the growth hormone and Dr. Edward Laws neurosurgeon and professor in Harvard university, Richard Bulliet and Greta Berman from Columbia University, professor Luis Sobrinho, George P. Chrousos professor and chairman of pediatrics department at the Athens University Medical School, John Wass Professor of Endocrinology at University of Oxford, Seymour Reichlin, MD, PhD, MACP, Greig Hoyt MD, Michael Brodsky MD, Nelson M. Oyesiku, MD, PhD, FACS, Mary Lee Vance, MD, Alem Surre-Gracia playwright, Axel Marc Takacs ThD Harvard Divinity School, and Lorenzo Villoresi the perfumer in Florence joined the symposium. Lorenzo Villoresi designed a perfume for this project and named it Neyshabur.
A present of a turquoise Simorgh was given to all the professors as a symbol of Iranian culture, Pasargadae, Cyrus the Great, the land of peace and civilization to go and sit in the heart of Harvard University.
Mehrnoush Fatholahi another member of Attar Foundation sponsored the symposium. Iran federation of tourist guide association (IFTGA) assisted Dr. Laily Mahoozi for this event. They had a great contribution in planning, coordinating, and managing the event. Also IFTGA was in charge of organizing tour itineraries and hotel reservations for the guests.
Two months before the symposium Elham Khadem Hosseini one of IFTGA members started searching for hotels and conference halls that have wheelchair access and are disability-friendly. Since she did not find any wheel chair accessible hotel, Mrs. Hosseini as the very first time in Iran, made the required changes in the hotels that the guests were staying according to the universal standards and made them suitable for guests on a wheelchair.
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