Long before W.H.Sheldon's somatotype and temperament classifications, G.I.Gurdjieff elaborated seven categories of human that broadly reflect different centers of gravity of nature and levels of 'Being'.
The different levels of Being within the Human species are as different as there are different species.
The first three categories of human are born in the lower part of the Soul or the materiality of the physical body, as a potentiality to evolve further - but it is only a potentiality:
Category 1
This category of human being has the centre of gravity of their nature in the material energy of the physical body. Developmentally, everyone begins this way as the body grows from conception to adapt to its specific environmental conditions. There is a need to first 'survive'.
Hunger, thirst, warmth, movement and comfort are the priorities. There is an imperative for the body's immediate needs to be satisfied against all else. Physical pain and suffering are avoided.
While these priorities are legitimate to an extent, if the center of gravity does not move beyond the body, 'fixations' with physicality predominate. This is because the energies coming through the body that would normally be used to develop consciousness, and prepare the way for the higher parts of the Soul to form, devolve, returning whence they came and crystallize at the material level of function.
These fixations circulate around food, sex and dominance - driven by instinct - and all the vanities and anxieties that come with it. If these fixations are not ameliorated with appropriate education, this category of human begins to treat themselves and others as 'things' - that is, property or possessions.
This is because Soul development has not progressed any further, and so cannot recognise anything beyond the physical or material. Even death cannot be envisaged as it is a too foreign concept. In the end, these people become incapable of feeling or thinking beyond rundimentary levels.
The relentless pursuit of 'athleticism' beyond keeping a basal level of fitness, obsessions with youth and beauty, chronic obesity and thrillseeking are typical foci and ways of life of Category 1 humans.
The warrior type, the mesomorph, the person who only believes what they can hear, see, touch, taste and smell, is forever confined to their body and the happenings that occur to it.
Category 2
This category of human being has the centre of gravity of their nature in the emotional energy of the physical body. Children begin to develop more emotionally from about 5-7 years of age as a way to adapt to familial and social conditions. There is an essential need to energetically 'relate' to themselves, the world and others.
Momentary reactions of 'like and dislike' - aversion and immersion, highs and lows, attraction and repulsion - are prevelant. While this is legitimate to an extent to navigate the world of relationships, if the center of gravity does not move beyond the emotions, fixations with one's reactions predominate. This is because the energies coming through the emotions (arising from the body) that would normally be used to develop consciousness, and prepare the way for the higher parts of the Soul to form, fragment into compartmentalised 'selves'.
That is, the naturally formed, different versions of ourselves that can relate differently to different aspects of our lives become unaware of the other versions - 'schisms' occur. One of our selves makes promises another self cannot keep - we become both predictable in the reactions of each self and unpredictable in which self may randomly appear.
If these fixations are not ameliorated with appropriate education, this category of human forms unhealthly relationships, particularly with themselves. This is because Soul development has not progressed any further, and so cannot recognise anything beyond its all consuming, immediate and identified emotional states, irrespective of what is happening around them or to them.
The selfish pursuit of art or artistic endeavours, utopian visions and altruistic enterprises are typical foci and ways of life of Category 2 humans.
The sensitive type, the endomorph, the person who only believes what they can feel, is forever confined to their reactions and the consequences of it. Life is lived one transitory and separate state of existence at a time - there is little continuity.
Category 3
This category of human being has the centre of gravity of their nature in the intellectual energy of the physical body. Children begin to develop more intellectually from about 8-10 years of age, and much more pronounced after puberty as a way to adapt to organisational complexity. There is an essential need to 'understand' themselves, the world and others.
Information consuming, problem/puzzle-solving, continual analysis and organisation are the priorities. There is an imperative for the intellect to 'think' its way out of everything.
While this is legitimate to an extent, if the center of gravity does not move beyond the intellect, fixations with ideas and ideology predominate. This is because the energies coming through the body that would normally be used to develop consciousness, and prepare the way for the higher parts of the Soul to form, crystallise into ardent opinions, vehment attitudes and intractable habits that reinforce and justify each other, effectively providing a 'prison for the mind'.
If these fixations are not ameliorated with appropriate education, this category of human begins to treat themselves and others as 'concepts' - that is, there is a lack of organic relationship - the ideas are not grounded and 'anything goes' as long as logic permits. This is because Soul development has not progressed any further, and so cannot recognise anything beyond ideas which, for it, are endless.
The pursuit of academia and intellectual-based professions are typical of the ways of life of Category 3 humans.
The intellectual type, the ectomorph, the person who only believes what they can think, is forever confined to their minds and the prison it generates. Meticulous mind worship, unrelated to body and feelings or anything else, is the worst form of delusion and the best form of destruction.
Category 4
The first three categories of human belong to essentially the same 'level of Being' as they are natural products of life to more or less of an extent. However, the fourth category of human is born in the middle part of the Soul or the sensitized bioplasmic field, and can only be a product of conscious, self-directed and self-disciplined work over a long period.
Category 4 human has come to understand that the first three categories are all unbalanced and bound to fail in the pursuit of 'something more'. There is a need to harmonise the relationship and connectivity with the body, emotions and intellect first, before any further evolution of Being (or Soul creation) is possible.
Category 4 human's conscious work is directed towards the capacity of 'self-observation' (to see the working of oneself as impartially as possible) and eventually the ability to 'self-remember' (connect the parts of one's Being together at Will through increasing the power of attention to sustain contact with the organic sensations of the body, energetic organisation of the feelings and the vivid imagery of the intellect).
Category 4 humans are rare as the conditions and predisposition towards a search for the reality of Being must be such as to allow a long and sustained effort. The classic 'renaissance man' or 'Jack or Jill of all trades' or those that strive to have a 'wide horizon' are typical outward characteristics of development for Category 4 humans.
Category 5
Category 4 human is a 'transitionary stage' to further levels of conscious Being born in the higher part of the Soul.
When self-remembering has been firmly established, and a relationship forms with a higher intelligence (through the 'second conscious shock' alluded to by Gurdjieff), the Category 5 human emerges.
Category 5 humans have a balanced Being, the ability to consciously connect under any conditions to themselves and others through a well-defined 'I', and have the capacity to take direction from conscience.
They become a conduit for finer, deeper or higher energies to flow into the lower levels of existence, and so can help other Beings transform their own Being directly, through presence alone.
Objective consciousness emerges as 'unity' is now essential. True teachers belong to this category.
Category 6
The difference between Category 5 and Category 6 humans is that Category 6 has almost all the properties of a fully developed and individualised consciousness as a permanent fixture of presence.
Objective consciousness is firmly established but has yet to come to completion or union with the ultimate source. They are the true Saints of religion and rare in history. Their task on Earth is measured in epochs.
Category 7
Category 7 human is a Category 6 human except that they possess all the properties of a fully developed and individualised consciousness as a permanent feature of presence.
They are a conduit for the highest energies in the cosmos that have their actions beyond space and time. They are the rarest of the rare, and their task is measured beyond the needs of the Earth.