In modern psychology, in William Glasser’s choice theory, the “need for survival” is presented as one of five basic instinctive human needs for self-preservation and the continuation of material life. Conversely, in Islamic mysticism—especially Farid al-Din Attar’s Mantiq al-Tayr—the goal of spiritual conduct and human perfection is defined as annihilation in God and the negation of the material self and survival. The necessity of this study arises from the premise that analyzing the conflict between these domains—the fundamental human instincts in contemporary psychology and the transcendental ideals of classical Persian mysticism—can elucidate the psychological mechanisms and identity transformations of the seeker during the transition from sensuality to transcendence. Accordingly, the main research question asks how Attar’s Mantiq al-Tayr represents the inherent conflict between the biological need for survival and the spiritual imperative of annihilation, and how the seeker overcomes the survival instinct from Attar’s perspective. Employing a descriptive-analytical and interdisciplinary approach, the study comparatively examines the birds’ excuses and the seven valleys of the Mantiq al-Tayr against the components of Glasser’s theory. Findings indicate that the birds’ initial excuses—attachment to water, shelter, and security—are instances of the survival need’s resistance to the call of nonexistence; by redefining survival, Attar guides the seeker beyond material and biological preservation, so that through conscious choice and transformation in his qualitative world, annihilation becomes not mere destruction but a profound shift in preference systems and internal motivations from self-centeredness toward truth-centered perfection, serving as a prelude to survival in God and eternal lif