On 3rd January 1987, a reclusive Canadian scientist named (Robert) Alan Krakower with a background in physics was living on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, when something occurred that changed his life - and that of many people since. He had a revelation. A Voice in his head that said 'Are you ready to work?'. For eight days and nights he wrote and wrote. It was not a gentle experience and he described it later as more akin to being raped. After the experience, he did not even know what he was previously called. He had a new name, Ra Uru Hu.

What had been revealed to him is a complete system for Life, whole and in detail, which he called 'Human Design'.

It's also worth saying that Ra was of the opinion that skeptics are the best people to talk to about Human Design. He claims that much of it is provable scientifically and that the best way of proving or disproving it is to live your design. Now there's a challenge!

So what was this revelation and why might it be important? Read on¹.

It's All in the Genes

Human Design works on the theory that there is a direct link between the timing of our birth and the way in which our genes are imprinted. As well as genetics, it synthesises quantum physics, astronomy, biochemistry, the I Ching², astrology, the Judaic Kabbalah (an esoteric offshoot of Judaism, which is concerned with spiritual laws) and the Hindu chakra system. It's also based on the premise that the universe³ is a living entity fed by particles known to physicists as neutrinos. It's beyond the scope of this entry to go further into this aspect of Human Design, but interesting to note that he was given information by the Voice years before it was proved by science and announced at Neutrino '98 in Japan that neutrinos had mass.

It offers a system for making decisions which can be used throughout one's life. It is also a way to self-love. Ra is of the opinion that we do not love ourselves enough. Loving oneself is the first step to loving other people.

The Bodygraph

The basic tool of Human Design is the bodygraph, which is a biochemical chart of the human body. It acts as a blueprint rather like a car owner's manual.

A bodygraph looks like a mandala and consists of an outer circle representing the hexagrams of the I Ching, inside which is another circle representing the zodiac. Inside this is a system of pie shaped wedges, where the sun, moon, earth and planets are placed in their astrological location. Inside this is a system of nine centres. These centres are connected (or potentially connected) by a system of 36 channels.

Seven of the centres correspond with the traditional Hindu chakras; two new ones were identified by the 'Voice' (the Spleen and the Self). Each centre has a number of 'gates', which are at the end of the channels, which are derived from the Kabbalah. The gates and channels are the anchoring points of a person's identity and show a person's preferred pathways to engage in life.

To find out what your bodygraph looks like, you need your date, time and place of birth and this is input into a computer, which looks at astrological information based on the positions of the planets and stars at the time of birth and where this activates a gate, marks it in. Where the gates at two ends of a channel are activated, this causes the centres at each end to be coloured in or 'defined'.

Your bodygraph will have two sets of data. One based on your date, time and place of birth, and another based on about three months before. The first data relate to your personality or conscious traits; the second relate to your inherited characteristics known as your design or your unconscious traits. Both are indicated on the bodygraph. A channel made up of two conscious gates will be a conscious channel, one made up of two unconscious gates will be an unconscious channel and you will have little or no access or control of that characteristic.

Centres in which we have definition are where we are 'fixed' in our nature. White (uncoloured) centres are known as undefined and white centres without any gates are known as 'open' centres.

The Nine Centres

The nine centres as stated above correspond to the Hindu chakras with the addition of two extra ones. Their functions are as follows.

• Crown or Head This governs inspiration and the need to explore existence.
  
• Ajna or Mind This governs thinking and mental awareness over time. It is an awareness centre.
  
• Throat This governs expression and manifestation.
  
  
• Heart This governs will and commitment. It is one of the four motors.
  
• 'G' centre or Self This governs sense of direction and love.
  
• Solar Plexus This governs emotions and the process of awareness in the wave⁴. It is one of the four motors.
  
• Spleen This governs intuition and awareness in the 'now'. It also contains the fear gates. It is also an awareness centre. Someone with a defined Splenic centre can feel good when others do not.
  
• Sacral This governs fertility and sexual energy and gives the power to sustain activity. It is one of the four motors.
  
• Root This is a pressure centre and drives and pushes for involvement. It is where we handle stress and the balance between fear and trust. It is also one of the four motors.
  

Defined and White Centres

Defined centres (centres which are coloured in) are areas in which we are fixed and reliable. It is where we are consistent in our nature.

The white centres are where our responses are unreliable and inconsistent. They are also areas where we can grow and become wise. They are areas in which we can become 'conditioned' by other people, so that we live 'not-self' lives and this can lead to pain. For instance, if you have an undefined root and are in close contact with someone with a defined root, if they are stressed, you take that stress in and magnify it, so that you are twice as stressed. Understanding this helps us to remain detached.

Conditioning comes from the people you meet and if you know your Design and theirs, you can see where they are defined and where you are not, where there is companionship, dominance, compromise or electromagnetic 'sparks'. Conditioning also comes from neutrinos coming from the stars, modifed by the planets. This affects all of us equally, although because we all have different designs, we will experience it differently.

The Four Types

Depending on which centres are defined, a person can be classified as one of four basic types. Knowing your type is the heart of the system and gives a strategy for living your life.

These are:

• Manifestors These are pure energy beings and are around 8% of the population. They have a motor (solar plexus, heart or root) connected to the throat and no sacral centre. Their strategy is to act, after informing people of their intention to act. They are the only type which doesn't have to wait. Their theme is anger. Saddam Hussein and George W Bush are both Manifestors. The world has been dominated by Manifestors, however their time is coming to an end and it is becoming the time of the Projector. Manifestor children are likely to be labelled as 'difficult' because they don't like being told what to do.
• Generators These are the builders and workers and are 70% of the population. They have tremendous energy and stamina, but need to beware of being enslaved. They have a defined sacral centre. 35% of the population are pure generators and 35% are 'Manifesting Generators⁵', which means they have a motor connected to the throat as well as a defined sacral centre. Their strategy is to wait to respond, rather than to try to initiate. In this, they have the easiest strategy of living their design as life provides plenty of opportunities for response. Their theme is frustration. Albert Einstein was a Generator. The Dalai Lama is another example and his chart is here. Generator children are expected to behave like Manifestors by their parents and other adults ('Tidy your room!') and should be asked to do things, not told⁶.
  
• Projectors These have defined centres which do not include the sacral or a motor connected to the throat. They form 21% of the population. Their strategy is to wait to be invited (this is a harder kind of waiting than Generators) and their theme is bitterness. They have the potential to guide the energy of others. Tony Blair (UK Prime Minister) is a Projector⁷. Princess Diana and Nelson Mandela are other examples.
• Reflectors These have no defined centres at all. They form just under 1% of the population, so they are the rarest of all the types and are very different to the others. Their strategy is to just wait (28 day cycle⁸) and their theme is disappointment. This decision making strategy is only for major decisions; it wouldn't be practical on a day by day basis. They have the potential to be the wisest of the types. Michael Jackson is a Reflector.

Relationships

In relationships, our design interacts with the design of other people. Human Design teaches that each of us has an aura, which is a subtle electromagnetic field that extends round us twice as far as the reach of our arms. When anyone steps into our aura, their design complements our design. This accounts for attraction between people and can also account for the fact that there are people we have difficulty with. Human Design says that this is because our mechanics.

Being in the auric field of another person can alter our breath pattern, we can be affected by their emotions, their health, their thoughts and their stress, etc. We are affected on a chemical level. If one person has an undefined emotional centre and is in contact with someone with a defined centre, then if that person is in a bad mood, it can affect the other. Knowing that it is not your bad mood can be very helpful.

Our defined centres are joined by pathways known as channels. If you overlay the bodygraph of one person over that of another, you get a combined bodygraph. This will have more channels than either one and will be an indication of the type of relationship they will have, whether it is sympathetic or unsympathetic. It can also indicate romance and friendship and what is likely to be important in the relationship. An example of a relational bodygraph is the one for Posh and Becks⁹.

Looking at the bodygraphs of business colleagues can also be helpful in strengthening teams and there are people who specialise in this type of work. For instance, it can be used in conflict resolution.

How can I find out more Information?

There is a lot of information about Human Design that this entry has not covered, eg the 12 profiles, types of chemistry in relationships, diet, health, children, etc.

There is a network of analysts in place in several parts of the world where people can have their charts done and have readings to give detailed information and advice on how to make the most of their design. On-line information and links are available at Human Design Virtual Community. In the UK, information is available from Genekeys, which also runs training courses. People who want to change their lives by living their design are warned that it is a slow process, although some improvements can be achieved within a relatively short time. It takes seven years for the process to be complete, by which time all the cells in the body will have been renewed.

Ra has always said that the evidence he has is that this system works and that he has yet to find someone to prove him wrong. He says that the system doesn't require belief, but the willingness to experiment with it. Information on Human Design research is here. His advice to those who come to him is, 'Love yourselves!'