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mediums could travel through. The pacha, in Inca mythology, is known as the idea of dividing the world into

three different spheres: that of the Hanan Pacha, the Kay Pacha and the Ukhu Pacha. The Hanan Pacha is

considered the world above or outside, and the place where nobles go once they pass away. The Kay Pacha is

the physical world that humans currently inhabit. Different spirits, whether of animals, deities or ancestors, are

able to travel between their world and the Kay Pacha. The Ukhu Pacha is known as the world below or inside,

and is the destination for ordinary people when they pass away. While the universe is considered to be a

unified system in Inca cosmology, the division between these three worlds is a part of the notion of dualism,

which is prominent in Inca beliefs.

Duality is the instance of opposition or contrast between two forces. In the Inca religion, the balance

between these dual forces leads to an equilibrium, which allows for all active elements in life to exist.

According to the Incas, life and the cosmos are both permeable. During life, the cosmos is deemed to be

divided by religion, yet harmonized through reciprocal exchange. When one makes offerings to the

supernatural, whether it be huacas or specific deities, the cosmos will positively change. When there is a lack

of equilibrium, so in a sense, a lack of reciprocal exchange, the cosmos will negatively change. These

changes, whether beneficial or maladaptive, affected the Inca Empire on an individual and collective level.

IDEOLOGY

Within the Inca Empire, the concept of time is divided into ages. Time is not linear, which means that

time itself is unable to progress from one stage to another in a sequential order. This is critical to

understanding the importance of the ninth Sapa Inca who ruled during the paramount era of the Inca Empire.

He was known as Pachacuti. Due to the incredulous advances in territory and architecture that Pachacuti

oversaw, he was considered to be the beginning of the world reversal. To expand on this notion, the Incas

believed that because Pachacuti’s reign was so impressive, in the grand scheme of time, the efficacy of the

Inca Empire would reverse, or lessen, in the future.

The early rulers of the Inca Empire established the cult of the sun, which worshipped the Sun God,

Inti. The Incas themselves were considered to be the children of the sun, and the ruler of the Incas was the son

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