In the current information age, the very question of what Man is, and to what extent his abilities go, has gained prominence. Metaphysical knowledge tells us that Man is not just a mass of muscles and bones but in fact is a living universe or microcosm (a’lam asghar) itself. His life is primarily relying on information. As a matter of fact his life is nothing but a collection of thoughts and imagination. His every movement is influenced by information and thoughts. Every human achievement is circled around the unseen world of cognition, imagination and creative thoughts. By giving new meaning to this idea, Man creates and invents new things out of nothing.

Human consciousness has evolved in a way similar to child development. From day one to around age five, a child’s cognitive abilities remain marginal, and from age six to pre-puberty their mental ability improves to a degree. However, after puberty and adolescence, when they enter adulthood, their mental and physical abilities reach its zenith. In a similar fashion, human consciousness has also developed itself slowly to its modern or current level. Although the modern world has developed and is advanced technologically, it would be presumptuous to think that the time we are living in has achieved its highest level of knowledge and inventiveness. Human mind has an unlimited potential to grow and expand without ever being stopped at any given point. The truth is that there exists a huge chunk of discoveries and explorations that is still hidden or simply beyond the scope of the human mind. Mind is the basis of all experiments, observations and senses. No human inventions could be possible without it. During the cognitive process, the mind expands its capabilities and as a result innovations and new branches of knowledge emerge. Human mind has always been a mystery for thousands of years up to our present age. Scientists believe that we have only consumed five to ten percent of our mental capabilities. A much larger share of its strength is still lying dormant. In other words what we have achieved so far is only five to ten percent of our hidden mental capability.

What we have discussed so far shows that current explorations and developments in the fields of Medicine, Botany and Zoology, Genetics, Physics, Chemistry, Architecture, Psychology and Parapsychology and other areas reflect human capabilities. However we rarely come to this conclusion that all these are actually mirroring our mental abilities, which the nature has given to us.

Every day discoveries about the mind and inner dimensions are show that human existence is divided into two. One half is its outer layer and the second half is the movement in its inner plane. These two sides are linked with each other. The idea that Man is not simply confined to his physical side and outward feelings, has surfaced from time to time in all phases of human history. There is an internal sphere in humans, which is independent of material needs. This is the sphere that is behind sending the entire cognitive stimulus to the physical sphere. That internal sphere is actually what Man is and is commonly known as the Soul (nafas) or Spirit (ruh). Spiritualists of all times have maintained that if we focus on our inner or spiritual heart, we would be able to explore the might or the potential of our true Self.

All revealed scriptures have generally mentioned the paranormal capabilities of humans. According to them, outwardly, human beings are made of bones and flesh but in their inner self lays energy, which is the reflection of the attributes of their Creator. This is what Spirit (ruh) is. Through this energy, the spiritual person receives the Divine Knowledge.

Revealed scriptures have divided the human senses in two major spheres: the Cosmos (macrocosm) and the Self (microcosm). The Cosmos (a’alm akbar) represents all outward physical or material beings and the Self (a’lam asghar) is everything that exists within. The human knowledge about the Self or inner being is at the initial phase right now. Just as a few hundred years back, most scientific knowledge of today would have been considered witchcraft or magic but are now part of our everyday life. In the same respect, the knowledge regarding the Self is at its infancy level right now. We are only beginning to know the wonders and depths of it.

Vision, Hearing, Speech, Taste and Touch are usually considered as the basic five senses of human being. Each one is well defined and has its own application. Similarly, each one has its own limits as well. For instance we are not able to see objects beyond a certain distance, or are unable to hear voices under a certain frequency or cannot touch anything unless it is within our physical reach.

All five of these senses have limits within the physical realm but they are limitless in the spiritual realm. The spiritual senses usually remain hidden or dormant. However once they are activated the vision becomes independent of any boundaries or confinement of distance. The ear hears sounds of any wavelength and speech no longer finds itself in need of any words. Without uttering a single word a person could send or receive his or her thoughts to anyone, anytime no matter where the subject is. The truth is that human senses actually come to their peak when spiritual senses are in motion. These senses open the door for such limitless observations and explorations that are normally dormant. Through these senses alone, a person could enter the hidden realm of millions of galaxies and countless stars and could encounter creatures such as angels or species of other planets that are otherwise considered non-existent.

The most effective way of activating and enhancing the spiritual sense is Muraqaba (meditation). Muraqaba is an exercise, a skill, or simply a way of thinking, which turns the otherwise dormant senses into a vibrant and awake mode. Through it we can explore those forces that are beyond the scope of physical senses. It also serves to improve the already existing paranormal abilities of an individual. Throughout human history it has existed in one form or the other.

Spiritually, psychologically as well as physiologically there are various advantages of practicing Muraqaba. First and foremost it improves concentration, immunity, memory, prevents psychological complications, and controls our negative thoughts and emotions thereby giving us a feeling of serenity and tranquility. Overall we are able to perform well in our daily tasks whether it is work related or in relationships.

The basic element of Muraqaba exists in all major religions of the world in one way or the other. Emphasis on prayer is always placed on higher focus and deeper thinking. So far in this chapter we have discussed the Muraqaba in general. However in the following chapters we are going to discuss the different forms of Muraqaba and its classification. We will briefly shed some light on other spiritual exercises, as well as ways to activate and improve the hidden capabilities vis-a-vis the spiritual powers of our relatively unknown self.