"Chaya Upasana"

"I further promise and swear that with the Divine permission I will, from this day forward,
apply myself to the Great Work, which is, to purify and exalt my Spiritual Nature so that
with the Divine Aid I may at length attain to be more than human, and thus gradually raise
and unite myself to my Higher and Divine Genius, and that in this event I will not abuse
the great power entrusted to me."
- Quoted from the Ritual Oath and Obligation of the Ceremony of the Grade of Adeptus
Minor (5=6) of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
In Hindu Tantra there is a particular spiritual practice called "Chaya Purusha Sadhana" or "Chaya
Upasana" which is said to help one evoke or invoke one's Higher Self or Higher Genius. The word
"chaya" means "shadow". Purusha means "cosmic person","higher genius" or "cosmic spirit". A
"sadhana" is a spiritual practice or a means of accomplishing something. "Upasana" means "sitting
near". So basically this is a practice to get close to your shadow body which is linked to your Higher
Genius, the part of you that is consciously connected to the Divine. This sadhana is said to bestow
many abilities to those diligent in its practice, including communion with one's higher self, knowledge
of the past and future, knowledge of when one (or others) will die, astral and mental projection,
knowledge of the elements, clairvoyance and other abilities. Many Tantrikas have made it one of
their main practices.
Meditation on the Shadow Man:

"The cultivation of the shadow man is another method of concentration. To do this exercise, stand in
the sun when the sky is perfectly clear so that your shadow appears clearly and distinctly in front of
you, approximately five to ten feet in length. Focus your attention on your shadow at a point at the
base of its neck. Hold this view with the eyes steady, the lids slightly opened, for as long as you can.
When the eyes become tired and begin to tear, close and open them a time or two, and then raise
the head to look into the clear sky. There you will see a figure, a full shadow which is capable of
appearing in many colors. Hold this figure in your concentration for as long as you possibly can. By
practicing this exercise regularly, the shadow will become transparent, and then you will see two
shadows. The first, an outer shell, will appear gradually more transparent, and eventually you will see
features on the shadow. Finally these features will turn to face you and you will realize you are
looking at yourself. This is a concentration exercise which may be done as a part of your usual
practice. This practice may also be done on a moonlit night. It is only suited to those localities where
cloudless skies are available for several months. For an accomplished one, this shadow may be
invoked to determine whether it is an auspicious time for certain important events or actions. The
shadow man will reveal the state of the tattvas in one's body, which will, in turn, reveal the secrets of
life. The scriptures say that if the practice is done faithfully for twelve years, the shadow will be with
one both day and night. It will guide him concerning his future and give him insights into the depths
of the waking, dreaming, and sleeping states. After a long time the shadow may be made to appear
to the practitioner whenever he wishes. It will rise and leave the body through the portal of the eyes.
Then the shadow can be projected upon a screen or wall. When the aspirant can perceive every part
of his form in the reflected shadow, he obtains perfect control over the breath, and obtains
beneficial results from all of his acts. Thus, seeing his mental body he will develop an understanding
of all things about himself. Reaching this stage, his passions will become controlled and he will attain
enlightenment."