A Comparative Study of the Role of the “Estimative Faculty” (Wahmiyyah) in Philosophical Psychology and its Neural Correlates in the Amygdala-Cingulate Cortex (ACC) Circuit: An Integrated Model for Emotion Regulation

This meta-analytical review presents a novel integrated model of emotion regulation by bridging the historical-philosophical concept of the “estimative faculty” (al-quwwah al-wahmiyyah) from classical Islamic psychology with contemporary neuroscientific findings on the amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) circuit. The study synthesizes two distinct bodies of knowledge to propose that the functions attributed to wahmiyyah—the perception of non-sensible intentions (ma’ānī), evaluative judgment, and the instigation of affective responses—are neurobiologically instantiated within the functional dynamics of the amygdala-ACC network. A systematic review and meta-analysis of fMRI studies on emotion regulation published between ۲۰۰۵ and ۲۰۲۵ were conducted. The analysis included ۴۸ studies, revealing consistent co-activation and functional connectivity between the amygdala, ACC, and various regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), including the vlPFC, dlPFC, and dmPFC, during emotion regulation tasks. The findings demonstrate a strong correspondence between the philosophical constructs of wahmiyyah and the empirically observed functions of this neural circuit. We present a model where the amygdala acts as a primary hub for detecting emotional salience (paralleling the perception of ma’ānī), while the ACC is crucial for conflict monitoring and affective evaluation, closely mirroring the judgmental role of wahmiyyah. The PFC subregions implement top-down cognitive control, analogous to the regulation of estimative judgments. This integrated model not only illuminates the neural underpinnings of a classical psychological faculty but also enriches the modern understanding of emotion regulation by providing a historically grounded and conceptually nuanced framework. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of this synthesis for clinical psychology and future neurophilosophical research.

کلیدواژه ها:

Wahmiyyah ، Estimative Faculty ، Emotion Regulation ، Amygdala ، Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) ، Meta-Analysis ، Philosophical Psychology