I recently was at a mind enhancing session and my doctor who is a Sufi, asked me to practice one exercise to enhance my consciousness called Muraqqaba. As a Shia Muslim, is it permissible for me to indulge in such a practice with the intention that it is a mental health enhancing exercise rather than a Sufi exercise?

But is it allowed for us to draw from other traditions? Basically this exercise consists of observing each sense mentally and then all the senses together and then observe who is the observe and finally observe the observer.

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It depends on what you are doing in the exercise. If it is just thinking and contemplating and going over your life there is nothing wrong with that. From the way you are explaining it, it doesn’t seem wrong. You can sit at home and have mental observations in your room.

It depends on what other traditions are. If they are contrary to our beliefs no. If it is telling you to have observations there is nothing wrong with that as long as you are fulfilling your religious duties and not doing something wrong.