Abstract

Sufi teachings and practices promise holistic well-being as they stand at the intersection between spirituality and diverse psychological concepts. This interdisciplinary nature of Sufism is manifested in The Forty Rules of Love, where Elif Shafak introduces a peculiar Sufi perspective on love and its power to trigger psychological development, spiritual transformation, and a heightened ecological awareness. This study employs the theoretical perspectives of humanistic existential psychology to explore the principles of Sufism and the way it facilitates the journey of self-development through actualization, transcendence, and acceptance, using The Forty Rules of Love as a reference. Following the standard techniques of textual analysis as a mode of research strategy, this article also examines the existential struggles of Ella, Rumi, and Desert Rose, the impact that social dynamics have on these characters’ inner journeys, the psychospiritual aspect of Sufism and its contribution to well-being across the individual, social, and ecological levels. Love appears as a powerful means to dissolve incongruities and promote unity and interconnectedness within the self, among individuals, and with the natural world. By exploring these themes, the study contributes to different scholarly discourses by analyzing the psychospiritual transformative journeys present in The Forty Rules of Love and the impact of Sufi practices on holistic well-being.