The beast below

Anubis holds a mirror to your soul.

For Anubis is the beast below, the subwoofer who stalks the frequencies beneath our audible range. Anubis creates feelings of awe and terror that must be mastered before we can pass into deeper realms of awareness. Anubis is portrayed as a jackal because this species communicates via infrasound. Infra is Latin for below and refers to the ultra-low frequency beyond the range of humans: 20 Hz and below. Unfortunately, little can prepare us for the alarming nature of vibration as we drop below audible wavelengths.

For in the low frequencies of deep bass, pure notes result in tonal sensations plus an awareness of pitch. But as the frequency falls below 20 Hz, the sound changes into a feeling of pressure in the eardrums. At even lower frequencies it turns into a sensation of separate puffs. So when exposed to infrasound we stop thinking and start feeling. This is where the hallucinations begin as our energetic bodies align with the terrors of the depths. This domain is for sincere initiates only.

Why is Anubis associated with the Ankh? Because this arterial bridge manages the flow of blood between the different hemispheres of the brain. It also provides oxygen, nutrients and a magnetic charge (due to the flow of blood) around the pituitary gland. In other words, the Ankh is a symbol of balance and embodies the idea of harmony. Anubis is therefore the guardian who stands before the gates of truth.

Anubis is associated with Ammit “The Eater of Hearts”. Ammit has a body that is equal parts crocodile, lion and hippopotamus: the three largest man-eaters that use infrasound to communicate. Ammit stood beside the “Lake of Fire” where candidates readied themselves for their initiation. Crocodiles use deep bass and infrasound to woo females and establish male hierarchy. The standard crocodile bellow is audible to human ears but there’s also an infrasonic wave beneath it that carries through the water.

Researchers in bioacoustics have discovered that lions also emit infrasound during mating and territorial displays. All the big cats have this skill and their prey (including humans) can actually feel their roars. Hippos also communicate using infrasound and these waves can travel up to several kilometres through liquids and solids of varying densities. Their limited-visibility habitats are ideally suited to these sonic messages.

So the ancient Egyptian word neter passed down the etymological river via the Coptic netjer, past the Greek netcher and washed ashore as the English nature. We can thank our ancestors for endowing the energetic realm with these animal personalities that still guide us today. Science tells us that the left brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa. This is partly true—the left hemisphere (masculine) also controls the higher insights and the right hemisphere (feminine) is associated with the lower emotions.

As humans then, we must find the golden mean that expresses “truth as faith”.