THE ZERO MIND PROCESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TAKHALLI: A CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF THE SOUL-PURIFICATION PROCESS IN ARY GINANJAR’S ESQ

Eka Vindana Dulasta (UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya)
Ghozi (UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya)

Religi: Jurnal Studi Agama-agama
Vol. 22 No. 2 (2026): Religions and Religiosities

Modernity, characterized by the acceleration of digitalization, does not appear to be directly proportional to human well-being; as noted by the WHO, more than one billion people worldwide live with mental health disorders, a fact further confirmed by the concerns expressed by the Chairman of the Central Executive Board of Muhammadiyah regarding the widespread moral and ethical crisis in Indonesia. Amid these circumstances, the concept of the Zero Mind Process (ZMP) in Ary Ginanjar Agustian’s Emotional Spiritual Quotient (ESQ) has gained popularity as a mechanism for purifying the seven mental shackles, yet the term “purification” he uses resonates with takhalli in ethical Sufism without ever having been explicitly linked in previous academic studies, which have thus far proceeded separately within the realms of popular psychology and education on one hand, and academic Sufism on the other. Based on this problem, this article aims to describe the conceptual structure of ZMP, examine the takhalli interpretation of this structure of mental shackles, and identify the epistemological points of convergence and divergence between the two. The research employs a qualitative approach in the form of library research using a conceptual-comparative analysis method, involving a cross-discourse reading of the ESQ 165 text and ethical Sufi literature on takhalli. The results of the study show that the seven mental shackles of ZMP can be systematically mapped into the categories of amrad al-qalb, such as su'uzan, takabur, huzn, hubb al-dunya, 'ujub-ghaflah, hasad, and ghadab. Further discussion confirms that ZMP and takhalli converge on the belief that self-transformation must begin with inner purification as a preparatory stage, yet they differ fundamentally in their epistemological foundations, the depth of the process, and their ultimate orientation; thus, epistemologically, ZMP requires a more solid foundation in tazkiyatun nafs so as not to be reduced to a secular and instantaneous technique for clarifying the mind.   Keyword: Zero Mind Process, ESQ Ary Ginanjar, Takhalli.     Modernitas yang ditandai akselerasi digitalisasi ternyata tidak berbanding lurus dengan kesejahteraan batin manusia, sebagaimana dicatat WHO bahwa lebih dari satu miliar penduduk dunia hidup dengan gangguan kesehatan mental, sekaligus dikonfirmasi oleh kegelisahan Ketua Umum PP Muhammadiyah atas krisis moral-etika yang meluas di Indonesia. Di tengah kondisi ini, konsep Zero Mind Process (ZMP) dalam Emotional Spiritual Quotient (ESQ) karya Ary Ginanjar Agustian populer sebagai mekanisme penjernihan tujuh belenggu mental, namun istilah "penjernihan" yang digunakannya beresonansi dengan takhalli dalam tasawuf akhlaki tanpa pernah dipertemukan secara eksplisit dalam kajian akademik sebelumnya, yang selama ini berjalan terpisah antara ranah psikologi-pendidikan populer dan tasawuf akademik. Berangkat dari problem tersebut, artikel ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan struktur konseptual ZMP, mengkaji pembacaan takhalli atas struktur belenggu mental tersebut, dan merumuskan titik temu serta titik beda epistemologis antara keduanya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif berjenis kajian pustaka (library research) dengan metode analisis konseptual-komparatif, membaca teks ESQ 165 dan literatur tasawuf akhlaki tentang takhalli secara lintas wacana (cross-discourse reading). Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa ketujuh belenggu mental ZMP dapat dipetakan secara sistematis ke dalam kategori-kategori amrad al-qalb seperti su'uzan, takabur, huzn, hubb al-dunya, 'ujub-ghaflah, hasad, dan ghadab. Diskusi lebih lanjut menegaskan bahwa ZMP dan takhalli bertemu pada keyakinan bahwa perubahan diri harus dimulai dari pemurnian batin sebagai tahap persiapan, namun berbeda secara mendasar dalam sumber epistemologi, kedalaman proses, dan orientasi akhir, sehingga ZMP secara epistemologis memerlukan pijakan tazkiyatun nafs yang lebih kokoh agar tidak tereduksi menjadi teknik penjernihan pikiran yang sekuler dan instan. Kata kunci: Zero Mind Process, ESQ Ary Ginanjar, Takhalli.