Discover The Pain of Passion, Dr. Nima Ghorbani’s latest publication exploring the psychology of longing and inner transformation.
The Pain of Passion is a profound psychological exploration of love, longing, narcissism, and inner transformation inspired by Rumi’s Masnavi. Written during twelve extraordinary days of war and existential uncertainty, this book emerged from silence, fear, and reflection — and became a meditation on what truly matters when life stands on the edge of mortality.
Why This Book Was Written
Years after the publication of Sodaye Khosh, many readers described that earlier work as dense, intense, and intellectually demanding. While it was reprinted ten times and formed a deep bond with its audience, some readers found its language and structure challenging.
The Pain of Passion was written to illuminate and clarify those deeper foundations — yet it stands fully independent. No prior reading is required.
The book was composed in twelve days during a sudden twelve-day war, when daily life came to a halt. In deserted streets and silent nights, reflection on fear, love, loss, and the fragility of existence gave birth to twelve chapters that examine the psychology of longing.
A Psychological Reading of Rumi
This book offers a contemporary psychological interpretation of key sections of the Masnavi, including:
- The eighteen opening verses of the Ney Nameh (Song of the Reed)
- Fourteen subsequent verses preceding the first story
- The story of The King and the Maiden
- The story of The Parrot and the Grocer
Drawing on Dr. Ghorbani’s theoretical framework of the “Union–Separation” model and his continuum theory of Narcissism to Genuine Love, the book explores:
- How love begins with possession
- How narcissistic attachment transforms into authentic compassion
- The difference between “royal helplessness” and “inferior helplessness”
- The psychological process of inner transformation in love
- The symbolic role of the “Divine Physician” in healing the self
Love, Narcissism, and Transformation
At its core, The Pain of Passion investigates the psychological structure of longing. It shows how the human need for connection and separation shapes the experience of love. Through dialogue between the “Divine Physician” and the “Modern Man,” the book bridges classical mysticism and contemporary psychology.
The work argues that authentic love emerges not from control or possession, but from transformation. The journey from narcissistic desire to compassionate presence is the central movement of both the Masnavi and human psychological growth.
A Book Born from Crisis
Written amid uncertainty, war, and isolation, the book reflects on life under the shadow of death. In such moments, superficial concerns fall away, revealing:
- The fragility of life
- The immediacy of mortality
- The depth of attachment
- The essential pain of longing
In that silence, writing became a way of living more fully — and The Pain of Passion was born.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Readers interested in Rumi and the Masnavi
- Scholars of psychology of love and narcissism
- Those exploring existential psychology
- Anyone reflecting on longing, attachment, and inner transformation
- Readers who found Sodaye Khosh meaningful but challenging
The Pain of Passion is dedicated to those who are never fully satisfied — those whose longing keeps them searching, questioning, and transforming.