The Anthropospheric Layer, colloquially known as the Shallows, represents the uppermost reaches of The Dreamspace as experienced by humanity, essentially acting as the psionic mirror of Earth. It is defined entirely by the collective cognitive output of the human species, serving as a vast, turbulent reservoir for every dream, fear, and religious conviction held by billions of human minds. Because it is the most accessible layer, it is also the most cluttered, resembling a hyper-vivid, ever-shifting collage of human history and mythology floating through space as we, humanity, know it. One of its dominating and more constant features is the so-called "Nuclear Static". This is a pervasive, low-frequency hum and a grey, shimmering haze that coats much of the layer, a direct manifestation of global anxiety surrounding nuclear war and the possibility of total extinction. This static has made the layer increasingly difficult to navigate, as the once-clear archetypal landscapes are now obscured by the smog of paranoia brought about by a world that believes itself in the brink of total annihilation. Not without reason, of course.
Inhabitants of the Anthropocentric Layer are typically classified as "Familiar Dreams" These entities are the personifications of human belief systems, ranging from benevolent guardian figures and powerful religious icons such as Pseudogods, to the comparatively lowly "Warghouls"; spectral, semi-sentient representations of the masses of men who lost their lives in World War I and World War II. While many Familiar Dreams possess a high degree of personality and can even be communicated with, they are ultimately "slaves to the script" of human expectation. A Pseudogod in this layer might possess immense power, but that power is anchored to the continued veneration of its followers in realspace. If a religion dies or a cultural hero is forgotten, the corresponding entity in the Anthropocentric Layer undergoes a violent "Ego-Collapse", dissolving into raw psionic energy or, if particularly strong, escaping into the lower layers to become a twisted, bitter version of its former self. For Anti-Paranormal Secret Societies and the Federal Special Research Division, the primary challenge of this layer is maintaining "the Masquerade," as these entities frequently attempt to breach the veil and influence human history, seeking to ensure their own survival by manipulating the thoughts and feelings of the very creatures that dream them into existence.
Entering the Anthropospheric Layer requires nothing more than regular psi-protective equipment. However, because it is densely populated, the venturing psi-diver must possess adequate means of self-defence, lest they encounter a manifestation of evil, death, hunger, cruelty, or something of that nature.
It is possible to travel long distances across Earth through the Anthropocentric Layer in a short time, if one possesses sufficient knowledge and skill to do so. This is the basis for what Psionic Theory calls warp-travel. It is hypothesised a sufficiently advanced craft may, at lower layers, become able to traverse through the cosmos, but this hasn't been achieved yet.