A mandala is an intricate design, usually of circular patterns, used in meditation to focus the mind; gazing at and concentrating on it brings about a state of mind in which self-knowledge can be restored.By showing the relationship among mandala and myth, mysticism, and epic, the present article tries to study the concepts of dream and centrality in the myth, and seven phases in Islamic mysticism.

Dear Editor, Art therapy is a useful method for integrating conflicting emotions like anxiety and promoting healthy functioning in various diseases and situations (1). One of the techniques used in art therapy is mandala coloring, which has received much attention from researchers today. In most of the studies, there is no mention of the exact way of coloring the mandala and its steps, and since there is not enough information, it can cause situational anxiety; Therefore, it is suggested that in future studies, a written intervention program should be used to perform mandala coloring. Same as what was used in Kari et al. 'S research. In their study, they investigated the effectiveness of different types of artistic activities, including mandala therapy, in reducing students' anxiety, and for this purpose, they used a written intervention program that included familiarizing the participants with the goals and process of coloring, raising the level situational anxiety is coloring and reducing anxiety and ending the meeting and getting feedback (2). Cone cells and cylinder cells are both light-sensitive cells in the human retina. Cone cells are also responsible for color vision in the retina, just as they are responsible for other visual tasks (3). In addition, the cone cells of the eye, which are responsible for color vision, are usually more active in bright light (4). Staining in the morning or under adequate artificial light is better than staining in the evening, at night, and/or under weak light. It is suggested in future studies to stain at the beginning of the morning. The color contrast mechanism states that in conditions with high contrast, the color of the central region depends on the intensity and spatial frequency of the surrounding colors (5). Also based on the nature of colors and paying attention to the fact that warm colors tend to expand and radiate outwards and cold colors tend to contract and radiate inwards (6). Therefore, in coloring mandalas, it is suggested that the participants use warm colors (such as red) more in the center of the mandala schemes and use cold colors (like blue) around it to establish a balance and achieve a balanced self-concept and reduce anxiety, as well as a better understanding of the colors used by creating a better contrast between the colors. Given the impact of this method on reducing anxiety and psychological factors in various studies, and the ease, availability, and practicality of this method, it is recommended that future studies improve the effectiveness of mandala coloring. It is important to carefully consider the application method, time, and method.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mandala therapy on reducing anxiety in adolescents. The research was experimental with a pre-test post-test design developed with a test group and two groups of comparison. The statistical population of the study consisted of all high school students in the city of Germi aged 15 to 18 years old, among whom 45 were randomly selected and divided into three groups: one experimental group (15 people) and two groups Each group of 15 people was randomly assigned. The subjects completed the Spielberger positional anxiety questionnaire (1983) in two stages (pre-test and post-test). The experimental group was asked to paint the mandala for 20 minutes. Also, the first group was asked to engage in staining for 20 minutes and the second group was asked to compare for 20 minutes to Draw free painting. The results of covariance analysis showed that the difference between the groups in the post-test of anxiety was statistically significant, meaning that all three methods of mandala coloring, stained chess coloring, and free painting were effective in reducing anxiety. The results of the Bonferroni post hoc test showed that the mandala staining method had more effect than the other two methods. This difference can be interpreted by calling on its actions to integrate activities in the course of the engagement of subjects in the drawing of the mandala.

Many patterns of ancient art and architecture have been designed based on religious beliefs and orders in the Indian continent. One of them is the wisdom of sacred art Vastu Purusha Mandala. This knowledge is related to square plan that has its roots in the ancient Indian religious texts that so called Vedas. The mandala has three main shapes: circle, square and triangle. Although the circle is its basic form in art and architecture but form of fire mandala is triangle and earth mandala have a square shape. Hence, the square form, which represents the mandala of the earth, is used to build temples. The purpose of this article is to know the forms of mandalas, analyze the map of Vastu Purusha Mandala and its impact on the religious architecture of fire temples in pre-Islamic of Iran. The result of the study shows that the Iranians were influenced by the wisdom of Vastu Purusha Mandala the construction of the fire temple, which this Vedic knowledge has ancient and common roots between Iran and India. The form and content used in the features of the fire temple follow the wisdom of Vastu and can be applied to it. Fire temples have four doorways, the Altar in the central square plan, circular dome on the base of the square and sanctification the basic four elements in the fire temples, especially the element of fire and keeping the clean air and space in the holy place. These elements are features common between Hindu temples and fire temples. Also in the subject of sacred geometry, squaring of the circular form is the result of the equality of earthly and celestial altars that can be seen in Hindu temples and fire temples.

Background: Bullying and the lack of social skills are essential for future risk-related problems, such as delinquency and feelings of rejection in children. The present study aimed to assess the effects of coloring mandala as Jungian art to reduce bullying and increase social skills in Afghan male working children. Methods: It was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and a control group design. The research population included all 10-to 12-year-old Afghan immigrant boys in Tehran City, Iran, who were studying in Parto School for Working Children, in 2019. The research sample consisted of 30 children who have obtained maximum scores on the Illinois Bully Scale (IBS) and minimum scores on the Teenage Social Skills Inventory (TSSI). The research participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Then, they were assigned to the control and treatment groups by drawing lots. The treatment group attended ten 45-minute sessions of coloring mandalas and Jungian art. The data collection tools were the IBS: Student Version (Espelage & Holt, 2001) and the TSSI (Inderbitzen & Foster, 1992). The data were analyzed using the one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS. Results: The present research results suggested that the bullying scores for the participants in the treatment group significantly decreased at the post-test, compared to the pre-test (F=24. 29, P=0. 001); however, their social skills scores significantly increased at the post-test, in comparison with the pre-test (F=42. 41, P=0. 001). However, no significant differences were found in the bullying and social skills scores of the controls between the pre-test and post-test phases. Conclusion: Mandala coloring art was effective in reducing bullying behaviors and increasing social skills among the explored Afghan migrant working children. Therefore, this artistic method can be used as a suitable option for psychological therapies, teaching social skills, and creating participation and empathy in children in educational centers and schools for child labor.

2Background & Aim: Rumination is a prevalent issue among medical science students, potentially affecting their academic performance. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Mandala therapy in reducing rumination among medical science students at the Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon branch. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. A total of 40 medical students from the Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon branch, who exhibited signs of rumination participated in the study in 2023. Participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (20 participants) or the control group (20 participants). The intervention consisted of four 60-minute sessions of Mandala therapy. Data were collected using the Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow's rumination questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed using SPSS version 26 to analyze the data. Results: Demographic analysis indicated no significant differences between the experimental and control groups concerning gender, age, or semester (P<0. 001). The ANCOVA results revealed that the Mandala Therapy intervention significantly reduced the rumination scores of the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0. 005). Conclusion: The results suggest that rumination levels in the experimental group decreased significantly following the intervention compared to the control group. Therefore, Mandala therapy may serve as an effective non-pharmacological approach for mitigating rumination among medical science students