Matin Research Journal

Matin Research Journal

The Function of the Theory of Conceptual Metaphors in Explaining the Plurality of Spiritual Paths from the Perspective of Imam Khomeini (RA)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ahmad Shakernejad 1
Mohammad Roodgar 2
Fatemeh Tabatabai 3
Ahmad forouzanfar 4
1 Member of research board in SBU
2 Member of the faculty of Islamic Mysticism Department, Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution Research Institute
3 Associate Professor, Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution Research Institute
4 Associate Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shahed University
10.22034/matin.2025.498613.2334
Abstract
Identifying the personality type of individuals and providing advice appropriate to it is an accepted matter in the fields of education, employment, study, and success. The acceptance of this view has led to the pluralistic interpretation of famous works in mysticism, such: "There are as many paths to God as there are people". The issue of this research is why Imam Khomeini has drawn various models to explain Spiritual Development. The present paper, while criticizing psychological explanations, seeks the function of linguistic explanations to solve this problem. Lakoff and Johnson's theory of conceptual metaphors under cognitive linguistics shows us that the diversity and multiplicity of behavioral patterns in Imam Khomeini's works is related to his use of diverse linguistic models. Because the phenomenon of spiritual evolution is abstract and complex to provide a multidimensional understanding of it, the Imam's statement in the position of imitation is pluralistic, but this is not evidence of his acceptance of behavioral pluralism based on the diversity of personality types.
Keywords
Imam Khomeini
Theory of Conceptual Metaphors
Spiritual Development
Spiritual Pluralism
practical Mysticism
Subjects
Matin Research Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 October 2025