Editing The Book of Healing (section)

===Psychology===
{{See also|Avicennism|The Canon of Medicine}}

In ''The Book of Healing'', Avicenna discusses the [[mind]], its [[existence]], the mind–body relationship, [[Sensation and perception psychology|sensation]], [[perception]], etc. He writes that at the most common level, the influence of the mind on the body can be seen in voluntary movements, in that the body obeys whenever the mind wishes to move the body. He further writes that the second level of influence of the mind on the body is from [[emotion]]s and the [[Will (philosophy)|will]]. As an example, he states that if a plank of wood is placed as a bridge over a [[chasm]], a person could hardly creep over it without falling if that person only pictures themself in a possible fall so vividly that the "natural power of limbs accord with it."

He also writes that strong [[negative emotion]]s can have a negative effect on the vegetative functions of an individual and may even lead to death in some cases. He also discusses [[hypnosis]] (''al Wahm al-Amil''), stating that one could create conditions in another person so that they accepts the reality of hypnosis. Avicenna was also the first to divide human [[perception]] into the five external [[sense]]s (the classical senses of [[Hearing (sense)|hearing]], [[Visual perception|sight]], [[Olfaction|smell]], [[taste]] and [[Somatosensory system|touch]] known since [[ancient history]]) and the five internal senses which he discovered himself:<ref name="Amber-365">Haque, Amber. 2004. "Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists." ''[[Journal of Religion and Health|Journal of Religion & Health]]'' 43(4):357–77.</ref>{{Rp|366}}

# ''[[sensus communis]]'' ('common sense'), which integrates sense data into [[percept]]s; 
# the imaginative faculty, which conserves the perceptual images;
# [[imagination]], which acts upon these images by combining and separating them, serving as the seat of the practical [[intellect]];
# ''wahm'' ([[instinct]]), which perceives qualities (such as good and bad, love and hate, etc.) and forms the basis of a person's character whether or not influenced by [[reason]]; and 
# ''ma'ni'' ([[intention]]s), which conserve all these notions in [[memory]].

Avicenna also gives [[Islamic psychology|psychological]] explanations for certain [[Somatic psychology|somatic illnesses]], always linking the physical and psychological illnesses together. He describes [[melancholia]] (i.e. [[Depression (mood)|depression]]) as a type of [[mood disorder]] in which the person may become suspicious and develop certain types of [[phobia]]s. He states that [[anger]] heralds the transition of melancholia to [[mania]], and explains that [[humidity]] inside the head can contribute to mood disorders. He recognizes that this occurs when the amount of [[breath]] changes: [[happiness]] increases the breath, which leads to increased moisture inside the [[Human brain|brain]], but if this moisture goes beyond its limits, the brain would lose control over its [[rationality]] and lead to [[mental disorder]]s. He also writes about symptoms and treatments for [[nightmare]], [[epilepsy]], and weak [[memory]].<ref name="Amber-365" />{{Rp|366}}

Avicenna often used psychological methods to treat his patients.<ref name="Amber-365" />{{Rp|366}} One such example is when a Persian prince had melancholia, suffering from the [[delusion]] that he was a [[cow]]. He would moo and cry out, "Kill me so that a good stew may be made of my flesh," and would never eat anything. Avicenna was persuaded to take the case. Avicenna sent a message to the patient, asking him to be happy as the butcher was coming to slaughter him, and the sick man rejoiced. When Avicenna approached the prince with a knife in his hand, he asked "where is the cow so I may kill it." The patient then mooed like a cow to indicate where he was. The patient was laid on the ground for slaughter. When Avicenna approached the patient, pretending to be ready to slaughter him, he said, "the cow is too lean and not ready to be killed. He must be fed properly and I will kill it when it becomes healthy and fat." The patient was then offered food which he ate eagerly, and gradually "gained strength, got rid of his delusion, and was completely cured."<ref name="Amber-365" />{{Rp|376}}