A Comparative Study of Ḥawās Khamsa Bātinah (five Internal Senses) in the Light of Unani and Modern Perspective
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The concept of Ḥawās Khamsa Bātinah (Five Internal Senses) represents a fundamental pillar of Unani philosophy, providing a detailed framework for understanding the internal, cognitive and perceptual functions of the brain (Dimāgh). These internal faculties Hiss Mushtarak (common sense), Khayāl (faculty of awareness/imagination), Wahm (faculty of apprehension/estimation), Hāfizah (faculty of memory), and Mutasarrifah (faculty of modification/cognitive power) were meticulously described by eminent Unani scholars such as Ibn Sīnā and Rāzī, who viewed them as coordinated processes essential for human thought, behaviour, and consciousness. Although modern neuroscience is grounded in different anatomical and physiological paradigms, it identifies parallel functions within neural circuits involving the thalamus, limbic system, prefrontal cortex, association areas, and hippocampal networks. These modern structures collectively mediate sensory integration, emotional processing, memory formation, and higher cognitive functions. By examining the conceptual overlaps and divergences between internal senses of Unani and contemporary neuroscientific models, this study aims to provide a comprehensive comparative understanding that bridge traditional medical philosophy with modern physiological evidence, underscoring the continued relevance of classical Unani thought in interpreting complex brain functions.
Author: Saddam Husain Ansari1*, Samreen Imlak2, Irshad Ahmad Ansari3, Faria Nawab4
Language: English
Topic: History of Medicine Studies
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7107972701
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