Layers – whether energetic, emotional, or even certain clothing – are seen as filters that shield us from unwanted external energies, emotional “spillovers” from others, or psychic disturbances.

Layers can act like thresholds. Temples have multiple enclosures before the sanctum or as you have to cross a few gates before reaching the home, your spirit reveals itself in stages.

Layers hint at the idea that our truest essence (soul, atman, higher self) is at the center, and to reach it, we move inward through various sheaths—physical, mental, emotional, intuitive.

There are layers everywhere:  spiritual world as well as physical world

A few important layers worth mentioning to understand that layering is a fundamental organizational principle.

Universe structure – cosmic web → galaxy clusters → galaxies → star systems → planets → moons.

Atmospheres – troposphere → stratosphere → mesosphere → thermosphere → exosphere.

Soil horizons – O (organic) → A (topsoil) → B (subsoil) → C (weathered rock) → R (bedrock).

Sedimentary rock strata – each layer recording different eras.

Ocean zones (by light) – epipelagic → mesopelagic → bathypelagic → abyssopelagic → hadal.

Cloud layers – high (cirrus), middle (altostratus), low (stratus), vertical (cumulonimbus).

Human/animal skin – epidermis → dermis → hypodermis.

Tree structure – bark → phloem → cambium → sapwood → heartwood.

Eye structure – cornea → aqueous humor → lens → retina.

Hair/feather layers – cuticle, cortex, medulla.

Tree rings – yearly growth records.

Ice cores – trapped air bubbles from past climates.

Sediment cores – pollen, fossils, volcanic ash traces.

If you look closely, nature loves layers because they provide:

Protection (skin, tree bark, ozone layer)
Organisation (trophic levels, forest canopy)
History-keeping (sediment layers, tree rings)
Adaptation (thermal layers in oceans and atmosphere)

A few practical uses of layering: 

Wearing clothing in layers protects you from cold in winters.

Making a flat bread with the layering method where the dough is rolled and layered multiple times makes it flaky/crispy and super tasty.

What else can you think of?

Physical layers help us internalize the fact that layers exist and recognize the not so visible spiritual layers.

For spiritual growth we have to pass through layers of experience – sensory > emotional > cognitive.

The process of self-realization often involves “peeling” away illusions, ego-identities, or attachments.