Layers of a Man According to Egyptians

According to old Egyptian beliefs, a man consists out of 7 to 9 “layers”. Consciousness and will make it possible for these layers to connect and make one harmonic and dynamic unity – MAN. As there are seven colors of the spectrum of sunlight and seven notes of music scale, there are seven aspects of human being. These aspects create so called internal hierarchical gradation. These are some of the principal layers of a man according to Egyptians:

1. Chat or Khat

A rock cube crowned with human head is a physical body that possessed intelligence and human form during lifetime. For itself, it is a piece of “fabric” that decomposes after physical death.

2. Ankh

A red pitcher or a heart on the left side of the scales, represents a vital energy that triggers physical body and makes it alive. In a broader sense Ankh is the key of life, one of theological symbols in Egypt.

3. Ka

Ka is the center of emotions and it is made after the image of the Spirit, the most subtle aspect of a man. Ka is transferor of the same spiritual aspect and the plan of manifestation that shapes the human body, it is shown in motion that symbolizes the apparition from a man, though it is his essential part. Well, this definition is a little complicated, but read it a couple of times, it’ll become clearer.

4. and 5. Ab and Ba

Yes, it reminds of the famous group ABBA, maybe there is some kind of symbolism or a connection the members wanted to show… Ab and Ba are twin sisters and represent two parts of human mind. They are shown as female characters, naked or dressed, once in a very modest clothing and the other time in a very luxurious. Ab is a part of mind that is related to wishes, different emotions and passion. It is the headquarter of the intellect or a “subjective” mind turned to its own illusions. Modern psychology calls this aspect – “Conscious I”. Ba is headquarter of pure ideas; another words that describe it perfectly are exalted and noble, and it represents unselfish mind that is independent of all the wishes, passions and subjectivity. In modern psychology it is “Mental I”. Ba is represented as a bird, here…

6. Akhu or Cheybi

It is a spiritual resurrection shown in the image of bird with human head, similar to Ba. This symbolizes the intuition of sacral. In one aspect it is a soul, the spiritual part in human that could travel somewhere else after physical death. Because of its bird nature, it is on the top of concrete things, ready to fly to the heights of Amenti – the Amon God’s house.

7. Atmu or Sahu

“A male character on the left of the scales” is the aspect that can return the lost Godlike Man status. It is a spiritual cause of human, a part that lives beyond changes and located beyond the measurable space, as a spectator. In other words is the immortal soul. This is the highest level of human nature – a divine spark in a man that connects him with its divine origins.

The sevenfold structure of man represents also the vision of man created in Thebes. Well, many cultures, religions and teachings agree that there is more than this life, and that something that is invisible by naked eye in human lives on after our body ‘wears out’ and dies. There must be something right and truthful in all that.