Category: Enneagram Theory
History of the Enneagram
The Enneagram is (Still) Having a Moment – But Where Did This Ancient System Come From?
I was 24 years old when I walked into a bookstore in Los Gatos, California, and bought my first book about the Enneagram. I had never heard of the personality system, but the symbol on the cover intrigued me.
The timing could not have been better. Just months before, I learned that my live-in boyfriend was stealing money from me. The Florida vacation, the fancy dinners, and the expensive gifts were all being funded by money heisted from my own bank account.
I may have stumbled across the Enneagram by accident, but it became the best tool to help me understand what had happened. This ancient personality system is like the Rosetta Stone of human nature. It gave me a context and translation for what was otherwise mystifying behavior.
Why would a person steal from his girlfriend to take her on a vacation? The Enneagram offered an explanation.
What is the Enneagram and where does it come from?
The Enneagram is a system of human personality that helps to explain why people behave the way they do. It suggests that your experience in life is dictated largely by where your attention goes. The system is complex, but in its simplest terms, it outlines nine distinct habits of attention and how they influence behavior.
The information the Enneagram offered me was tremendously valuable, but as I learned more, I became curious about its roots. Who invented it? Where did it come from?
I quickly discovered that – it’s complicated. The origins of the Enneagram can’t be summarized in a sentence or two. To learn the history of the Enneagram, you enter a world of sacred geometry, esoteric mystery schools, ancient Greece, and Sufi wisdom.
To unravel the mystery of the Enneagram, I needed a guide, so I spoke with Enneagram educator Stephanie Davis.
Davis has been working with the system for over 30 years. She’s been certified with Helen Palmer/David Daniels, Eli Jaxon-Bear, and Tom Condon, and she’s trained with Russ Hudson and Don Riso. If you don’t recognize those names, don’t worry – it’s enough to know that they’re a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the Enneagram community.
But perhaps most intriguing, Davis was a member of one of Claudio Naranjo’s Seekers After Truth (SAT) groups. These groups were the starting point from which the Enneagram leaked out to become available to a larger audience.
Davis got right to the point. “There are many layers in understanding the Enneagram. There is the symbol as a geometric shape – a circle, a triangle, and a hexad which is derived through sacred geometry, probably dating back to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras. But that’s just the symbol. No one was using the word “Enneagram” at that time.”
“In the 1900s, the Russian philosopher Gurdieff is the first person we know of who discussed movement and flow as part of the shape. It is not clear where he got this information, but we know he traveled extensively and studied in esoteric schools in the East. The symbol of the Enneagram is described as a schematic of perpetual motion, and I think of this as the ‘process Enneagram’.”
The Enneagram symbol – a universal map for any journey
If you’re familiar with Enneagram, you probably understand it as a personality assessment, much like the Myers and Briggs personality system or the Big Five. But aside from the nine types, there’s wisdom coming from the geometry and flow within the Enneagram symbol itself.
So much wisdom, in fact, that P.D. Oespensky, a Gurdieff scholar and author of In Search of the Miraculous declared that all knowledge can be included in the Enneagram. “For the man who is able to make use of it, the Enneagram makes books and libraries entirely unnecessary,” he wrote.
Davis offers a clearer explanation. “What he meant was that the Enneagram is a process map that you can lay different topics onto, and if you get the correct placement and flow of information on the symbol, you can have complete knowledge of the body of information. It’s profound when you really think about it.”
In other words, the Enneagram is both a noun and a verb. It’s a universal methodology you can apply to almost any body of knowledge.
When Enneagram met human psychology
What happened next is fascinating. Bolivian-born spiritual teacher Oscar Ichazo was introduced to Gurdieff’s concepts, including the dynamic Enneagram, in the 1950s. He studied with a diverse group who brought their knowledge of Zen Buddhism, Kabbalah and other Eastern philosophies to the Enneagram.
Independently, Ichazo had studied Sufism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism, and may also have been influenced by early Christian teachings. His knowledge base was vast.
“It was Ichazo who decided to lay the topic of human psychology onto the process map of the Enneagram,” Davis explains. “He developed the “Enneagram of Personality” which is what most of us think of when we hear the word ‘Enneagram.’”
“However, he didn’t focus on personality profiles as much as passions, virtues, and ego development. And it is important to remember that the use of Enneagram was just a small part of what Ichazo was teaching in his Arica school in Chile.”
Putting meat on the Enneagram’s bones
From the deserts of the Far East to the hills of Chile, the roots of the Enneagram were already proving to be deep and expansive.
Our next stop is the San Francisco Bay Area, where Ichazo’s student Claudio Naranjo taught as early as the 1970s. Davis was a member of one of his subsequent SAT groups, so I was eager to hear about her experience with him.
“Those SAT groups were intense! Naranjo didn’t teach the Enneagram directly–he never said “here’s an Enneagram seminar.” He used the Enneagram as a tool for his broader teachings. He would break us into type groups a lot and use the system that way as we mined our shadow side and things like that.
Naranjo, a trained psychiatrist, learned about the Enneagram from Ichazo.
“He put meat on the bones of the framework. If Ichazo is the father of the Enneagram, Naranjo is the mother. Ichazo planted the seed and Naranjo birthed, if you will, the psychological descriptions of the nine types. Based on his own training, his influences, and his experience, he fleshed out the nine personality styles and then the 27 subtype descriptions,” Davis explains.
From here, I knew the story well, as it is part of Enneagram lore. Naranjo’s small, exclusive SAT groups from the 1970s, much like the one Stephanie was in later, were supposed to keep the information secret.
But the secret leaked out, and more and more people began learning about the Enneagram – but the paths went in a few different directions.
Different lineages, same landing place
One place the Enneagram went is to the Jesuit community. Robert Ochs, a Jesuit, learned about the Enneagram from Ichazo and Naranjo’s work. He spread the information and, by the late 1980s, the Enneagram had become entrenched within the Jesuit community. Don Riso, a Jesuit seminarian, got the bare-bones notes and spent years in independent research and study, exploring how to apply the skeleton frame to more practical applications.
In 1987, Riso published a book, Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery. This is the first of many books he authored on the Enneagram – and the book I picked up in the Los Gatos bookstore.
A year later, in 1988, Helen Palmer, an intuition teacher studying the work of Naranjo, published The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and Others in Your Life. Palmer’s work is part of the ‘Narrative Tradition’ lineage of the Enneagram. Davis explains what that means. “Helen applied Naranjo’s concepts to the narrative style she used in her intuition training to develop a more narrative-focused Enneagram. This was based on people sharing their experience to illustrate their Enneagram type.”
Impressively, while both the Jesuit lineage and the Narrative Tradition lineage had different development paths, they landed in much the same place when it came to describing a high-level overview of the nine personality types.
Enneagram in the 21st century
In 2013, Beatrice Chestnut wrote the highly influential book The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge. This book uses the teachings of Naranjo and gives us the first published descriptions, in detail, of the 27 subtype personality profiles.
I asked Chestnut about what inspired her to write The Complete Enneagram.
“I never set out to study the subtypes, but in 2004 when Claudio Naranjo presented on the topic at the International Enneagram Conference, I was really surprised by the way he described the 27 personality profiles. He added so much more detail and information to what I had heard described before.”
“Naranjo and his associates at that conference helped me see that I was a self-preservation Type 2, which I never knew before. This was tremendously useful information – it was like I got a whole new angle into my own mind. When I learned my subtype, I went on a mission to learn everything I could about Naranjo’s approach. I wanted everyone to have access to this subtype teaching because it helped me so much. I’m a researcher, so I pointed my analytical skills at finding and analyzing every piece of information I could find that Naranjo had said or written about the subtypes. This was the basis for my book.”
In the end, what did the Enneagram teach me about my boyfriend?
It turns out, many things. As I studied the system, I learned about wings, arrows, subtypes and more. Eventually I found the Enneagram levels of development, the high and low side of each of the nine habits of attention. During this study, I found my boyfriend.
He was likely a very unhealthy Type 3 Achiever, obsessively focused on image and playing a role. He wanted to look like the “perfect boyfriend”: someone who would buy his girlfriend a Dalmatian puppy, take her to Disney World and treat her to nice dinners. The fact he didn’t have the money to do that became part of the web of deceit that unhealthy Type 3s can build.
The Enneagram offered me a path to healing, as it has for many others. Perhaps this is why the fact there is no clear answer to where the Enneagram came from has never bothered me.
What’s more exciting is the future. As Helen Palmer wrote in the foreword to Ginger Lapid-Bogda’s book Bringing Out the Best in Yourself at Work, “The Enneagram is arguably the oldest human development system on the planet, and like all authentic maps of consciousness, it finds new life in the conceptual world of each succeeding generation.”
Its roots may be mysterious, but the Enneagram seems to have its moment for every generation. And that means we can look forward to many new spins on this fascinating – and ancient – personality system.
Now you know the roots of this fascinating personality system, why not try it out for yourself? Take the Enneagram test here to discover your type in minutes, and gain valuable insights for life.
Motivations
Enneagram Motivations Of Type One: The Reformer
As a dominant Enneagram type one, you are wise of the faults we have in our world and put in efforts to bring out its best to become a better place. You want to bring out the best in people, but that can sometimes come off too harsh and high-standard for them. You are a very responsible and mature person and caring with ethical morale.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being ethical and having integrity
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being immoral or corrupt
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Two: The Helper
As a dominant Enneagram type two, you have a deep understanding of your friends and family and feel a sense of responsibility derived from your love to help them when they are in need. You are insightful and can read people like an open book. You sometimes question the validity of your own emotions and instead focus on others’ for a thoughtful gesture.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being loved and feeling wanted
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being rejected and labeled as “too needy.”
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Three: The Achiever
As a dominant Enneagram type three, you have trouble sitting still for too long because you like to get moving and do something useful. When working, you make sure to do everything swiftly and efficiently. You are a quick learner and have an optimistic attitude, making you an excellent mentor in the workplace. You sometimes feel like you are only known for your achievements.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being successful and respected
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being a failure and feeling worthless
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Four: The Individualist
As a dominant Enneagram type four, you are a creative soul with a unique style and want to show the world the beauty that being yourself can bring. You don’t have a problem sharing with others about your struggles because they are what make you who you are. You have a spot-on intuition. You are very sensitive and can sometimes get caught up in your emotions.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being authentic and unique
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being insignificant and flawed
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Five: The Investigator
As a dominant Enneagram type five, you have a hunger for learning and like to take the time to soak in the details of the topics you’re interested in to better understand them. You have no problem persevering to analyze the fine print before making your final decisions. You like being alone, but you sometimes can over-isolate yourself and feel lonely.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being knowledgeable and self-sufficient
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being helpless and ignorant
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Six: The Loyalist
As a dominant Enneagram type six, you prefer to surround yourself with the many friends you make through your warm and compassionate attitude. You are very loyal to the ones you love. You’re witty and helpful and make an excellent problem-solver. You hate being alone because your thoughts are loud, and when there is no one there to support you, you tend to overthink.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Having enough support and feeling secure
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being abandoned and feeling fear itself
Enneagram Motivations Type Seven: The Enthusiast
As a dominant Enneagram type seven, you love to have fun and live life like there’s no tomorrow; you are known amongst your large circle of friends as the life of the party. You have a way of bringing people together with your bubbly and energetic attitude. New experiences feed your curiosity. You are afraid of being left out of the fun or being left behind by your friends.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being happy and feeling unrestrained
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being left out and feeling trapped
Enneagram Motivations Type Eight: The Challenger
As a dominant Enneagram type eight, you have a straightforward and hands-on approach to things because you know what needs to be done and aren’t afraid to do it. You have tremendous confidence in what you do; you always know why and what you’re doing, making you leadership material. You aren’t fond of being bossed around by other people, and others doing so can make you angry.
- Enneagram Core Desires: Being independent and protective
- Enneagram Core Fears: Being controlled and feeling vulnerable
Enneagram Motivations Of Type Nine: The Peacemaker
As a dominant Enneagram type nine, you don’t like conflict, so you resolve the conflicts between others to keep the peace with everyone. You are empathetic and open-minded, so you understand different perspectives in conflict. You are scared of your friend groups separating, so you keep the peace no matter your cost.
How to Use Enneagram Arrows for Growth
18 OCTOBER 2021 / BY SAMANTHA MACKAYClinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on October 18, 2021
This blog post is part of our Fundamentals of the Enneagram series, which takes a deeper dive into all the Enneagram elements – wings, arrows, subtypes, centers of intelligence, growth pathways and more. For an overview of the series, start with our introductory post here. For an understanding of arrows, check out this post.
Arrows are resources for growth; they provide us with strategies for tackling challenges that our personality type naturally struggles with. But it isn’t a free-for-all. Rather, the Enneagram provides us with a roadmap.
WHAT KIND OF GROWTH DO YOU NEED?
There are times when we need some incremental growth and other times when we need to go big and make some wholesale changes in how we approach life. Think of it like evolution versus revolution. For small, evolutionary changes, look more to what wings can offer you. But if you are getting more and more frustrated with your personality’s continual failure to navigate a problem, it might be time to start a revolution. And for that you need your arrows.
THE PATHWAY: ENERGIZING AND RESOLUTION
When consciously using your arrows for growth, it is essential to start with your Energizing arrow. That is the arrow pointing towards your personality type, known as the against arrow.
For an Enneagram Eight, the Energizing point is found at Two. For Fours it can be found at One. For Fives it can be found at Eight, and for Sevens it’s at Five.
When we are able to master the skills that point provides us, we expand our capacity to tackle the challenge posed by the forward or Resolution arrow. At the Resolution point we became a more nuanced, calmer person, able to recognize our needs, respect ours and others boundaries, and pause before taking action.
For an Eneagram Eight, the Resolution point is found at Five. For Fours it can be found at Two. For Fives it is at Seven, and for Sevens it’s at One.
DON’T BE IN A RUSH TO CHANGE
As we discussed in last week’s article, it is far easier to unconsciously go to the low side of an arrow when we are under pressure or looking for a way to get our needs met, than it is to go to an arrow’s “high side.”
So, before you start trying to change yourself, start by observing your own behaviors. Aim to simply catch yourself moving to the arrows, and observe what happens, before you try to force yourself to change.
Once you have noticed yourself acting out, get curious about it. Reflect on the deeper reasons for the shift. Some questions you can ask yourself include:
- In what way do you feel under pressure?
- Is that coming from you or the environment around you or both?
- What needs are going unmet in this situation?
- What impact is this behaviour having on yourself and others?
APPLYING ARROWS: PRACTICES FOR YOUR TYPES
Let’s take a brief look at the practices you can use to intentionally move to the high side of your arrows, as well as the benefits you will get from mastering the challenges at each.
We’ll start with the three Body types, then move to the three Heart types and wrap up with the head types.
Not sure what that means? Read our introduction to the Centers of Intelligence.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE EIGHT
The movement to Two provides Eights with the ability to consider other people. They become more aware of their impact on others and are able to cultivate better relationships. To achieve this, they need to learn to listen to other people, and start to make space for their feelings. When they integrate Two’s qualities, Eights become more diplomatic and able to encourage people to take action without imposing or offending them.
Then an Eight can move to point Five. Here, they master patience and being able to count to three before taking action. It also helps them appreciate that they don’t need intensity to be in relationships, or to project their energy out to be effective. At point Five, Eights can keep their energy inside their body and channel it in greater mental focus. To achieve this, Eights need to focus on using their analytical skills and taking a more cautious approach to their use of energy and resources.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE NINE
The movement to Three provides Nines with the ability to consider themselves and their interests. When Nines acknowledge they are important, and value their own efforts, they are able to prioritize their own goals, tasks and agendas. To achieve this, Nine’s must identify and prioritize what they want and take the initiative to put it into action. When they integrate a Three’s qualities, Nines become more energetic and dynamic, feel self-confident, and are able to positively promote themselves.
Then a Nine can move to point Six. Here, they master conflict and being able to stand up for something that is important to them. It helps them to say no, go against someone else’s opinion, and have greater boundaries with others. To achieve this, the Nine needs to use the Six’s critical analysis and risk assessment skills. This helps them stay present to what is happening, rather than slipping into self-forgetting. Then, Nines become skilled at entering into conflicts, instead of avoiding them. They learn to mediate while still expressing their own opinion.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE ONE
The movement to point Seven provides Ones with the ability to be mentally flexible and see many options. It allows them to break the rules and be more creative and spontaneous. To achieve this, Ones need to practice having fun and being playful on a regular basis, and to not be hard on themselves for choosing pleasure ahead of duty. When they find the healthy balance between responsibility and relaxation, the One is less rigid and less focused on being right. They are able to see the shades of gray that exist in every situation.
Then a One can move to point Four. Here, they master their creativity. At point Four, Ones question what they really want from life and become more attuned to what they want and like. They can let go of the fierce self-control and do things differently. To achieve this, Ones practice expressing their emotions authentically and developing a creative practice. When they master Four, Ones bring a unique touch to their work, incorporating a sense of beauty and magic into everything they do.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE TWO
The movement to point Four allows Twos to appreciate that honoring their own emotions actually helps them maintain positive relationships, instead of undermining them. Here, Twos gain the ability to get in touch with their own needs, feelings and desires, and to accept all of their feelings and not be embarrassed by them. To achieve this, Twos practice acknowledging their feelings and asking for what they want.
Then a Two can move to Eight. Here, they master setting boundaries. At point Eight, Twos become more direct and assertive, clearly saying what they need and what they don’t like. They become more practical and stop worrying about how others perceive them. To achieve this, Twos practice accessing their anger in a positive way, using it to get their needs met more directly.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE THREE
The movement to point Six provides Threes with the ability to question the status quo. Most importantly, it allows them to assess the risks associated with their current lifestyle, helping them determine the consequences for their relationships, family and health if they continue living and working the way they do. To achieve this, Threes need to develop some self-doubt about their current choices and use the Six’s natural ability to analyze risks and take a more cautious approach. By doing so, Threes develop a healthy balance between getting things done and pausing for reflection.
Then they can move to point Nine. Here, they master the art of relaxing and can finally take a vacation. They can slow down their pace and wait for the right time to act, and they can listen to others more, paying attention to someone else’s agenda. To achieve this, the Three practices including others in the process and following other people’s lead.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE FOUR
The movement to One provides the Four with healthy self-discipline and the ability to turn their creative ideas into action. Here, they become comfortable with routine, sticking with the agenda and not allowing their feelings to distract them from the task at hand. To achieve this, Fours devote themselves to structured activities where they focus on improving the external environment, like a garden, instead of trying to control their emotions. Repetitive work can help the Four find peace instead of getting caught up following the waves of their shifting moods.
Then they can move to Two. Here, Fours master the art of giving and receiving, allowing them to maintain mutual relationships. They stop comparing themselves to others, and instead help and support other people. To achieve this, Fours focus on being in service to others and balancing their needs with the needs of others.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE FIVE
The movement to Eight provides the Five with an ability to assert their boundaries while maintaining their relationships. Here, they have less of a need to disconnect and hide, instead becoming more practical, spontaneous and energetic. To achieve this, Fives practice becoming grounded in the body and using the body as a way to connect with the issues they have been avoiding. When they integrate the Eight’s qualities, Fives become more comfortable with confronting others and remaining in connection.
Then they can move to Seven. Here, Fives experience all life has to offer. They realize they can get their needs met spontaneously, so can start to move away from being excessively specialized and become more of a generalist. To achieve this, Fives practice talking before they are certain about something, allowing themselves to test ideas in a real-world practical way.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE SIX
The movement to point Nine allows the Six to trust people more. By becoming less suspicious of everyone and everything, Sixes increase their ability to confirm what is a real fear and what is imagined. To achieve this, Sixes practice listening to other opinions and being more receptive to their perspective. When they integrate the Nine’s qualities, the Six is able to let down their guard and relax some of the time.
Then they can move to Three. Here, the Six masters performing without procrastinating, and is able to move forward despite their fears. They are able to trust their own authority and have confidence in themselves, taking the lead and valuing their contributions. To achieve this, Sixes practice recognizing their contributions and appreciating their own abilities.
ENNEAGRAM TYPE SEVEN
The movement to point Five allows the Seven to increase their ability to concentrate and focus on a single activity. By bringing their energy inside of them, it becomes easier for a Seven to stick with one thing and they start to become specialists. To achieve this, Sevens practice saying no to interesting options and start putting down all the possible projects they mentally carry around with them.
Then they can move to One. Here, Sevens master the art of finishing things. They develop the self-discipline to see things through and find joy in completing things. They can develop this by working in a more structured way and finding ways to finish whatever they start.
ARROWS FOR PRACTICING GROWTH
Using arrows for growth can be a huge leap – one we aren’t always ready for. If you are embarking on this journey, think about the kind of support you will need and start with some self-observation and self-reflection. Take small steps and don’t be too hard on yourself. Growth is a journey.
Enneagram of Holy Ideas
1. Enneagram of Holy Ideas
Facets of Unity, pg. 288
A Comprehensive View of Objective Reality
Each Holy Idea represents a particular direct perception of reality as a specific characteristic or facet of the unobscured perception of what is. The nine Ideas, then, provide us with a comprehensive view of objective reality. The transmitted view of the Enneagram is that each ennea-type fixation is the expression of a limited mental perspective on reality, and that each of the nine egoic perspectives is the direct result of the loss or absence of the enlightened perception of one of the Holy Ideas. The Enneagram of Fixations reflects the deluded or egoic view of reality, expressing the loss of the enlightened view, which is represented by the Enneagram of Holy Ideas.
Facets of Unity, pg. 6
An Unconditioned, Objective, Experiential Understanding of Reality
A Holy Idea is a particular unconditioned, and hence objective, experiential understanding of reality. For example, from the perspective of one Holy Idea, reality is experienced as a nondual unity of Being, and the loss or absence of this Holy Idea leads to the delusion of duality, which manifests in the conviction that there are ultimately discrete objects in reality. There are nine specific delusions reflecting the loss or absence of the nine Holy Ideas. These delusions function as the primary principles of egoic existence. Each delusion forms the center of a psychological complex, which we view as the core of that particular fixation.
Facets of Unity, pg. 8
Certain Ways of Experiencing Reality
The Holy Ideas are not exactly states of consciousness; they are certain ways of experiencing reality. So you could be experiencing a particular essential state, and at the same time you might experience transparency or not. You cannot, however, experience transparency without experiencing some quality of Being, because if you are not experiencing Being you are experiencing ego, and the Holy Ideas are not accessible in the egoic realm.
Facets of Unity, pg. 112
Point 1 – Holy Perfection
Holy Perfection is difficult to define exactly, because like all the Holy Ideas, it is a universal concept, a Platonic Form. As such, the perfection we are discussing cannot be analyzed or reduced to simpler elements; it is a pure form of manifestation. From the perspective of Holy Perfection, everything looks just right, everything feels perfect and complete, every action is correct and graceful. We see that whatever happens is the perfection of Holy Truth, which is everything. We know this with certainty, without necessarily knowing what makes everything perfect. This sense of the intrinsic rightness of the reality that is inside and outside everyone is a feeling, a recognition, an action, of intelligence. It involves no conceptualizing about perfection. Holy Perfection reflects the intactness, the completeness, and the glory, of what is. It is the perception of the perfection of all phenomena from every angle, on all levels, all the way through. This is what makes Holy Perfection holy, objective, and egoless. If something were seen as perfect and another thing not, or if it were perceived as perfect now and at another point no longer perfect, this would not be Holy Perfection, but rather, the ego’s sense of perfection based on subjective judgment.
Facets of Unity, pg. 142
Point 2 – Holy Will, Holy Freedom
Because what happens is the functioning of the organism that is the universe, there is no randomness to the changes that occur within it. Events may appear random to our subjective point of view, but from an objective perspective, an inherent intelligence is seen to be operating, moving things in a particular direction. As Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, “God does not play dice with the universe.” This means that the universe does not function mechanically; it is a living, conscious presence, so its functioning is an organic unfoldment. Perceiving that the functioning of the universe has a particular momentum, and moves in a particular direction with a particular intelligence and a particular force, is the meaning of Holy Will. You are seeing, in other words, that there is a unified will in the total functioning of the universe. Implicit in this perception is seeing all change in the universe as a functioning, a doing. This means that the movement of a star is action and not simply change; it is the action of Holy Truth……….See also p119. So Holy Will is nothing mysterious, but very few people actually come to know it directly. It is a very subtle and deep perception of the operation of Holy Truth. At the same time, we can experience it as whatever is happening at any moment, whether it is a supernova exploding or your superego attacking you. All of it is Holy Will……….See also p119. Holy Freedom, the other aspect of this Holy Idea, is understanding functioning or will from the perspective of Holy Transparency. Holy Transparency, discussed in the previous chapter, is the perception that one exists as a human being who is completely inseparable from the whole. Therefore, your functioning and your actions are inseparable from the functioning of the whole, and are in complete harmony with its functioning. You are, in a sense, a co-creator, a participant in the expression of Holy Will. This is the experience of Holy Will acting through you, and we call that experience Holy Freedom. Holy Freedom, then, means that your action is not separate from the action of the universe, so your will is not separate from the will of the universe. There is, therefore, no conflict between your will and the will of the universe; your will is not opposed to that of the universe or disharmonious with it.
Facets of Unity, pg. 118
Point 3 – Holy Harmony, Holy Law, Holy Hope
<p>So Holy Law means that the whole universe changes and transforms as a unity, like one ocean whose surface is in a constant state of change and transformation, continuously rippling as one. It is not that things are changing in unison, but that one completely unified mass is moving without the possibility of any part going its own way or changing, independent of the rest. If one thing were to change separately, the unity of existence would be broken……….See also p266. Holy Harmony, the second name or nuance of this Holy Idea, points to two primary insights regarding Holy Law. It refers to Holy Law, but focuses on certain things about it. The first insight is that because everything happens as one action, as one unified flow, the pattern of this flow is experienced as the complete harmony of all the various happenings contained within it. The perception of this harmony is that it is beauty, it is love, it is grace, it is luminosity, it is abundance and fullness. So all movements, changes, and actions form a unified and harmonious, patterned flow. This flow is aesthetically and absolutely appealing and satisfying, and on a practical level, is totally fulfilling. There are no incongruities, no inconsistencies, no contradictions between the various local changes and occurrences because they are not separate from each other. Contradictions can only exist from the perspective of an individual who sees one thing happen and then sees another thing happen, which she thinks is contradictory to the first thing. But if there is only one unified unfolding, how can there be inconsistencies? What we call disharmonies and inconsistencies are part of the harmony when seen from this larger perspective……….See also p269. The difference between Holy Faith and Holy Hope is that faith is a trust in the fact of the presence of Being, while hope is trust in the creative flow of the functioning of that presence. So faith gives you the sense of being supported and taken care of by the universe, while hope gives you the sense that as things unfold, everything is and will be fine. Holy Hope, then, is an openness, a curiosity, a receptivity, and an optimism about how things are going to reveal themselves, because you are certain that the optimizing thrust of reality moves toward harmony and fulfillment. Even putting it in this way makes the hope sound too specific—it is just an open optimism about life.</p>
Facets of Unity, pg. 259
Point 4 – Holy Origin
What does this mean? Each Holy Idea, as we have seen, presents a particular implicit truth about reality, a certain facet of how reality is and how it appears. If we perceive reality as it is without any filters, we will see these nine Ideas as different manifestations of it. They are inseparable, since they are nine different aspects, expressions, or elements of the same experience. The facet of reality that is highlighted by Holy Origin is the perception and understanding that all appearance (meaning whatever can be experienced and perceived—inner or outer) is nothing but the manifestation of Being, the Holy Truth……….See also p186. This inseparability of appearance from its Source is the perception elucidated by Holy Origin. This is a very deep understanding which is not easy to apprehend. Without it, we can have experiences of our essential nature which actually feel separate from who we are. For instance, we might have a profound experience of the presence of boundless compassion or of indestructible strength, but actually feel that we are having an experience of something other than who and what we are. Essence can feel like something that comes and goes, rather than seeing that our perception of our inner nature is what comes and goes because that perception is not clear. Holy Origin is the knowledge that you and your essence are not two distinct things. Essence is the nature of the soul. We might believe that the Divine, or God, is something outside ourselves, residing somewhere else, which we are either connected to or not. Believing that you can be connected or disconnected from God means that you don’t understand the Idea of Holy Origin.
Facets of Unity, pg. 185
Point 5 – Holy Omniscience, Holy Transparency
Our understanding of this Holy Idea expands on Ichazo’s definition above. Holy Omniscience is the Universal Mind, which is the multiplicity of existence within the unity described by Holy Truth. Universal Mind includes all that exists in its various manifestations, with all the various colors, the richness, and the continuous transformations of reality. It could also be called God’s Knowledge, since what God “knows” is the whole universe in all its multiplicity. You might say that Holy Omniscience is the same perception as Holy Truth, but with a different emphasis. In Holy Truth, the emphasis is on the unity of the universe; it is all “of the same taste,” as the Tibetan Buddhists say. With Holy Omniscience, the emphasis is on the differentiations and discriminations within that unity. So the focus here is on the various parts, in all their variety and multiplicity, that together comprise the unitive whole. To perceive reality through the facet of Holy Omniscience is like looking at a whole Persian rug, but focusing on the different designs contained within it………. See also p99. The other name of this Holy Idea, Holy Transparency, refers to oneness seen from the point of view of the individual. Instead of looking at the nature of reality from an “aerial” point of view, which would correspond to that of Holy Truth, we are seeing it from our human vantage point. It is the understanding of our place as human beings within the unity of existence, and from this perspective, we see that we are each an inseparable part of the whole, each a cell in the cosmic body, each a part of the “body” of God, inseparable from objective reality. The human being, then, is seen to be one of the differentiations of the Universal Mind.
Facets of Unity, pg. 98
Point 6 – Holy Strength, Holy Faith
Most simply, Holy Faith is due to the recognition of Essence. By recognition, we mean the direct experience of Essence as one’s true existence (Holy Truth), as perfect existence (Holy Perfection), and as intrinsically good and loving existence (Holy Love). To completely recognize Essence means to recognize the three qualities of satchitananda—that it is a real presence, that it is intrinsically good, and that it is just the way things are supposed to be. We can refer to this realization of Essence as Holy Strength, meaning that the strength of the soul lies in its nature as Essence. Perceiving this truth is seeing one’s nature through this Holy Idea. The fact that Essence is the fundamental nature of the soul is its objective strength, and is what gives the soul its feeling of strength. To perceive this truth is to know one’s reality through the lens of Holy Strength. Holy Faith, then, is the effect of this realization or recognition upon the soul. Another way of stating this insight is that Holy Strength is the perception that the inner nature of the human being is Essence, and that as a result of this perception, the transformation that occurs in the soul is Holy Faith. So we are differentiating between the recognition of Essence as the inner truth of the soul and the effect of this experience on the soul. Holy Faith is a kind of knowledge, then, a conviction, a certainty. This use of the word faith is different from the conventional use of the term, which refers to a mental belief that is not based on our direct experience, but rather, on what we’ve been told by someone………. See also p247. We have explored Holy Strength, which is the direct experiential recognition of Essence and its truth, its lovingness, and its perfection—the recognition that it is our essence, our innate nature. And we have seen how Holy Faith is the transformation that occurs in the soul consequent to the experience of Holy Strength. When the soul recognizes Essence, we see that this is what gives us strength and courage, and this transforms the soul through the action of what we call Holy Faith—not faith about a person or a particular thing, but faith in reality, in Essence. This faith is a heartfelt certainty, an unquestioned conviction that Essence is one’s innate nature. Along with this knowing comes the perception that it is constant and reliable, and you—rather than it—come and go. If you really know that Essence is your nature, to say that it comes and goes doesn’t make any more sense than saying that the atoms of your body come and go. Your perception of it might come and go, but that doesn’t mean that your inner nature comes and goes, as one often feels early on in the Work.
Facets of Unity, pg. 233
Point 7 – Holy Wisdom, Holy Work, Holy Plan
Holy Wisdom is, like other Holy Ideas, a certain way of experiencing oneself and reality as a whole. If you have basic trust and you are being present, you realize that there is an evolution, a transformation that happens, and that there is a specific design to this evolution and transformation. This evolution happens according to a certain design—a design that is true for all human beings. This design is called the Holy Plan or the Holy Work. It’s a Holy Plan in the sense that there is a specific universal design—which is the same thing as the process of the cosmos or the macrocosm replicating itself in the microcosm. Holy Work is the actual evolution itself, the actual transformation, so it is seeing that there is an actual transformation progressing from one step to another, from one stage to another, and going in a certain direction. Perceiving this design and this process of transformation is Holy Wisdom, which is perceiving the Holy Work or the Holy Plan. So, again, it has to do with functioning—functioning from the perspective of a design. If you have this perspective, obviously you will have basic trust. Knowing that things are unfolding according to a certain design, you do not need to have your own plans. You don’t need to fantasize about how things should be. So we can see how the loss or the absence of this Idea leads you to fantasize about how things should be, how you are going to be, to make plans, to plan for the future.
Facets of Unity, pg. 162
Point 8 – Holy Truth
So according to the Idea of Holy Truth, reality, when seen objectively, has no divisions in it. It exists, it is now, and it is nondual. There is no me, no you, no other, no universe separate from God; no universe separate from the Void; no you and Essence, no personality and Essence; no physical body and soul—all these distinctions are illusions and are not ultimately real. There is only one thing, and it cannot even be called “one” because if you call it one, you are comparing it to two, and it is not one in contrast to two. It is nondual, an indivisible existence, no matter how you look at it or think about it. While the different teachings may emphasize different qualities of this unity, seeing it from the perspective of love or awareness, for example, the assertion here is that fundamental to reality is the fact of unity. All the religions assert this sense of the all-inclusiveness of reality. Another way of saying it is that God is everywhere, omnipresent. Holy Truth is the way that the teaching of the Enneagram of Holy Ideas expresses this understanding.
Facets of Unity, pg. 84
Point 9 – Holy Love
Holy Love is not the feeling of love, nor the essential aspect of love. Holy Love is a quality of existence that makes that existence lovable. Its loveliness and lovableness is what generates in our hearts sentiments of love, appreciation, value, enjoyment, pleasure, and so on. So we are talking about the quality of lovableness of reality when it is seen without distortion, rather than through the filter of the ego. In other words, Holy Love is the fact that objective reality has an intrinsic quality of being wonderful and pleasing—it is intrinsically lovable. This is Holy Love— whatever it is that makes it lovely, enjoyable, lovable, whatever it is about it that we can’t help but appreciate. When reality is fully perceived, one cannot help but enjoy and appreciate it. One cannot but respond with awe when the Holy Truth is fully apprehended, and one cannot but be full of wonder when Holy Perfection is realized. One cannot but melt in appreciative sweetness when beholding Holy Love. Holy Love brings you the experience of love, but it is not the love itself; it is something much more comprehensive. It is a quality of reality as a whole and is very difficult to fully define. We could say that Holy Love is the intrinsic quality of the reality of Being that is nonconceptual positivity. It is pure and unalloyed blissfulness. It is the value-saturated quality of truth. It is pure goodness, the Good of Plato.
Facets of Unity, pg. 209
The View of Reality as Unity
The Holy Ideas constitute a map of the view of reality as unity. Each Holy Idea is a view of reality which reflects an understanding of the wholeness and unity of the world or universe, of human beings, and of the functioning of reality. The understanding of unity—the nonduality of the various elements and dimensions of existence and manifestation—is an element of every traditional spiritual understanding. Both Eastern and Western teachings that include a method of inner work toward realization of reality inevitably lead to the perception of the nonseparateness of human and world, physical world and consciousness, divine and mundane. Many of these teachings understand human suffering to arise from ignorance of this truth, that is, separation or alienation from awareness of the sacred or the real.
Facets of Unity, pg. 10
Use of the Word Holy
The word holy in the language of the Enneagram is not used in the usual dualistic sense: that which is opposite to the bad, the mundane, or the human. Holy means objective, how things really are beyond the cloud of egoic experience.
Facets of Unity, pg. 93
Instinctual Stack
What is an Instinctual Stack? Do you know yours? We all have three instincts. None of us are absent one. However, one does tend to be dominant. But what are instincts and how do they influence how each type shows up in the world?
Today’s guest, Elan Benami, creator of the EnneaApp and author of Enneagram Patterns & Poetics, provides a great overview of Instincts, Subtypes, and the Instinctual Stack and shares how they play out for him in his personal and professional life.
Listen here to the Podcast on Instinctual stack
Elan is an LPC with a MA in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and BA in Philosophy. In addition to his own private counseling practice, Elan is Clinical Director of People House – a non-profit that provides affordable counseling in Colorado.
Elan was introduced to the Enneagram in 2008 by his first therapist. He then did intense studying with Lori Ohlson, who was his supervisor. Claudio Naranjo was Lori’s primary teacher, so there is a deep kinship with his work. Other major Enneagram teachers who have shaped Elan include Helen Palmer, Russ Hudson, Don Riso and Sandra Maitri.
Elan and Lori Ohlson have co-facilitated many Enneagram classes/workshops, most of them in the narrative tradition. Through Lori’s Enneagram material (of over 25 years of teaching the Enneagram), Elan created the EnneaApp, initially for the purpose of having something to quickly reference between sessions. Through the years, he has adapted the content to be more reflective of his own experience while also preserving Lori’s lineage. The app has over 1.5 million downloads.
Enneagram Instincts Explained
In order to understand the subtype one has to first understand the different instincts. The term instincts refers to our animal intelligence, the survival strategies we adopt to sustain life and perpetuate nature. These strategies are very deep rooted within us but play out in ways that are as real for us as they are for any other animal. These are responses that operate at an unconscious, largely reactive, level. Such reactions are so fast that we are not aware of them in the moment. There are three dominant instinctual drives described below.
SELF PRESERVATION INSTINCT
Self-Preservation is the instinctual drive to look for security, well-being and fulfilment “in the inner world”; that of body sensations, taste, touch, smell, hearing and thoughts.The focus then becomes one of immediate security; the survival and well-being of the body. Food, shelter and warmth become primary in the attention. There is a perceived threat to the body such that feels like it cannot be relied on without attention.
One’s immediate environment becomes the focus of attention; “I will survive if I have what the body needs close at hand”. Some refer to this as the “back pack” version of security for people like to carry with them everything they perceive they will need to maintain this sense of well-being. The related motivational drive is formed by the unconscious prioritisation of the safety and well-being of the physical body. Tends to think that “God” is part of their inner experience.
THE ONE-TO-ONE INSTINCT or SEXUAL INSTINCT
One to One is the instinctual drive to look for security, well-being and fulfilment “out there”; in the dynamic of intimate relationship with “other”. This normally refers to a person, but equally it can be any object which that the mind security through relating with. It is sometimes referred to as the sexual instinct for in survival terms reproduction promises survival at a deeply primal level.
The focus then becomes the quality of one’s intimate relationships; that does not mean exclusivity with one individual but a focus on the quality of relating itself. They seek connection, intimacy and depth. One to Ones like full attention when relating; it is offers the reassuring feelin that we are safe together and; “we have each other’s back”. The related motivational drive is the security related to strong interpersonal bonds. Tends to think that “God” is out there, and can be related to.
THE SOCIAL INSTINCT
Social is the instinctual drive to seek security, well being and fulfilment “in the universal”; in that which we all share. This can refer in scale from consciousness itself through to one’s immediate community. In basic terms it is the sense that; “we will survive if we work together”. The Social Instinct is reflected in the “herd mentality” within us, and can be noticed in our heightened awareness when we, or others, do something different from everybody else. Being “in” or “out” of the group is important to the Social Instinct.
The focus then becomes the health and strength of the social group – however small- one is connected with. Issues of belonging, recognition and having the capacity to influence predominate. It is the “One for all and all for one” type of security. It can distort into a fear that I need to be important or make my mark in society to be fulfilled and survive,or it can manifest in a need to be valued and of service to others. Tends to think that “God” is universal, something we can all tap into equally.
Enneagram Subtypes
THE TYPE ONE SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION ONE: WORRY
Self-Preservation Ones are the true perfectionists of the three Ones. They express the passion of anger through working hard to make themselves and the things they do more perfect. In this subtype, anger is the most repressed emotion; the defense mechanism of reaction formation transforms the heat of anger into warmth, resulting in a friendly and benevolent character.
SOCIAL ONE: NON-ADAPTABILITY
Social Ones (unconsciously) consider themselves to be perfect; they express anger through focusing on being the perfect model of “the right way” to be. They have a teacher mentality that reflects an unconscious need for superiority. In the Social One, anger is half-hidden—there’s a transformation of the heat of anger into cold. This is a cooler, intellectual personality type in which the main theme is control.
SEXUAL ONE: ZEAL
The Countertype
Sexual Ones focus on perfecting others; they are more reformers than perfectionists. The only One who is explicitly angry, they act out anger through their intense desire to improve others and get what they want. They feel entitled in the way a reformer or a zealot can feel entitled: they believe they have a right to change society and get what they want because they have a higher understanding of the truth and the reasons behind “the right way to be.” The countertype of the Ones, they are more impulsive and outwardly angry—they go against the “counter-instinctive” tendency of the One to repress anger and impulses.
THE TYPE TWO SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION TWO: PRIVILEGE
The Countertype
Self-Preservation Twos “seduce” like a child in the presence of grown-ups as a way of (unconsciously) inducing others to take care of them. Everyone likes children, and the SP Two adopts a youthful stance as a way of getting special treatment well beyond childhood. As the countertype, it’s less easy to see pride in this Two because they are more fearful of and ambivalent about connecting with others. The title “Privilege” reflects this Two’s desire to be loved and prioritized just for being who they are, not for what they give to others. Related to the youthful stance, these Twos are playful, irresponsible, and charming.
SOCIAL TWO: AMBITION
The Social Two is a seducer of environments and groups—a powerful, leader type whose pride manifests as a sense of satisfaction in the conquest of an audience. This is a more adult Two in whom pride is the most obvious; the Social Two cultivates an image of being an influential, super-competent person worthy of admiration. The name “Ambition” reflects this person’s desire to “be on top,” and as a result of this lofty position, receive advantages and benefits. This Two “gives to get” the most and always has a strategic angle when expressing generosity.
SEXUAL TWO: SEDUCTION/AGGRESSION
Sexual Twos seduce specific individuals as a way of getting needs met and feeding their pride. Similar to the “femme fatale” archetype (and male equivalent) this Two employs the methods of classical seduction to attract a partner who will meet all their needs and give them whatever they want. The name “Aggressive-Seductive” suggests a character who is appealing, but who also wants to wield some power. Energetically like a force of nature, this is a person who becomes irresistible, who inspires great passions and positive feelings as a way to meet needs in life.
THE TYPE THREE SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION THREE: SECURITY
The Countertype
Thee Self-Preservation three has a sense of vanity for having no vanity. This Three also wants to be admired by others but avoids openly seeking recognition. Not just satisfied with looking good, the SP three strives to be good. They are determined to be a good person—to match the perfect model of how a person should be. Being the perfect model of quality implies virtue, and virtue implies a lack of vanity. SP Threes seek a sense of security through being good, working hard, and being effective and productive.
SOCIAL THREE: PRESTIGE
Social Threes focus on achievement in the service of looking good and getting the job done. They act out vanity through their desire to be seen and have in-fluence with people. They enjoy being on stage in the spotlight. Social Threes know how to climb the social ladder and achieve success. These are the most competitive and most aggressive of the Threes. They have a driving need to look good and possess a corporate or sales mentality.
SEXUAL THREE: CHARISMA
Sexual Threes focus on achievement in terms of personal attractiveness and supporting others. In this Three, vanity is not denied (as in the SP Three) nor embraced (as in the Social Three), but is somewhere in between: it’s employed in the service of creating an attractive image and promoting important others. These threes have a harder time talking about themselves and often put the focus on others they want to promote. They put a lot of energy into pleasing others and they have a family/team mentality.
THE TYPE FOUR SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION FOUR: TENACITY
The Countertype
The Self-Preservation Four is long-suffering. As the countertype of the Fours, SP Fours are stoic in the face of their inner pain and they don’t share it with others as much as the other two Fours. This is a person who learns to tolerate pain and to do without as a way of earning love. Instead of dwelling in envy, SP Fours act out their envy by working hard to get what others have and they lack. More masochistic than melodramatic, these Fours demand a lot of themselves, have a strong need to endure, and have a passion for effort.
SOCIAL FOUR: SHAME
The Social Four suffers more, feels more shame, and is more sensitive than the other two Fours. Envy fuels a focus on shame and suffering as they employ a strategy of seducing others into meeting their needs through an intensification of pain and suffering. They experience a sense of comfort in feeling melancholy. Envy also manifests in lamenting too much, taking on the victim role, and focusing on a sense of their own inferiority. Social Fours don’t compete with others as much as they compare themselves to others and find themselves lacking.
SEXUAL FOUR: COMPETITION
Sexual Fours make others suffer as an unconscious way of trying to rid themselves of painful feelings of deficiency. In denying their suffering and being more shameless than shameful, they express their needs more and can be demanding of others. In seeking to be the best, they express envy in its manifestation as competition. They express “an envy that wants,” unconsciously turning their pain at inner lack into feelings of anger about not getting what they need from others.
THE TYPE FIVE SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION FIVE: CASTLE
The Self-Preservation Five expresses avarice through a focus on boundaries—a need to be “encastled” in a sanctuary where they feel protected from intrusion and have control over their boundaries. SP Fives have a passion for being able to hide behind walls and know that they have everything they need to survive within those walls. They are the least expressive of the three Fives and they try to limit their needs and wants so that they can avoid being dependent on others.
SOCIAL FIVE: TOTEM
The Social Five expresses avarice through a need for “super-ideals,” relating to others with common interests through knowledge and shared values (rather than emotional connection). In this Five, avarice is connected to knowledge. Needs for people and for the sustenance that relationships provide get channeled into a thirst for information. “Totem” refers to a passion for high ideals, the need to idealize experts and seek knowledge connected to whatever ultimate values this Five adheres to. Social Fives engage in a search for the ultimate meaning to avoid experiencing life as meaningless.
SEXUAL FIVE: CONFIDENCE
The Countertype
Sexual Fives express avarice through a search for ideal exemplars of absolute love. This is a Five with a romantic streak. the name reflects their need to find a partner who fulfills an ideal of trust. The most emotionally sensitive of the Fives, they suffer more, resemble Type Four more, and have more overt desires. They have a vibrant inner life that may be expressed through artistic creation but are still cut off from others in many ways.
THE TYPE SIX SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION SIX: WARMTH
Self-Preservation Sixes express the passion of fear through a need for protection, for friendship, and for banding together with others. In seeking protective alliances, SP Sixes endeavor to be warm, friendly, and trustworthy, which is why they bear the name “Warmth.” This most “phobic” of the Sixes has difficulty expressing anger, feels uncertain, and engages in a lot of self-doubt. For SP Sixes, fear manifests as insecurity, and they focus on relationships as a way of feeling safer in the world.
SOCIAL SIX: DUTY
Social Sixes express fear through a need to deal with anxiety by relying on abstract reason or ideologies as a frame of reference. Obeying authority through knowing the rules helps them to feel safe in the world. Unlike the SP Six, this Six has more certainty and can be “too sure” of things as a way of dealing with the anxiety of uncertainty. Social Sixes focus on precision and efficiency. They adhere to whatever the guidelines are as a form of having a protective authority.
SEXUAL SIX: STRENGTH/BEAUTY
The Countertype
Sexual Sixes express fear by going against fear—by becoming strong and intimidating. Trusting themselves more than others, these Sixes have the inner programming that when you are afraid, the best defense is a good offense. They take on a powerful stance, both in what they do and how they look, as a way of holding the enemy at a distance. Their anxiety is allayed through skill and readiness in the face of an attack.
THE TYPE SEVEN SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION SEVEN: KEEPERS OF THE CASTLE
The Self-Preservation Seven expresses gluttony through making alliances and creating opportunities for gaining an advantage. Pragmatic and self-interested, these Sevens find safety through networking and being alert to opportunities that support their survival. The name “Keepers of the Castle” refers to their way of establishing a partisan network of allies through which they create safety and satisfy their needs. Cheerful and amiable, they have a love of pleasure and tend to get what they want.
SOCIAL SEVEN: SACRIFICE
The Countertype
As the countertype, Social Sevens go against gluttony through conscientious efforts to be of service to others. Conscious of wanting to avoid exploiting others, they have a need to be good and pure and to sacrifice their own needs in supporting the needs of others. They have a passion for being seen as good for the sacrifice of their own desires. They express an ascetic ideal and make a virtue of getting by on little. They express idealism and enthusiasm as a way of making themselves feel active and valued in the world.
SEXUAL SEVEN: SUGGESTIBILITY
Sexual Sevens express gluttony through a need to imagine something better than ordinary reality. Gluttons for things of a higher world, they are idealistic dreamers with a passion for living in their imaginations. Sexual Sevens look at things with the optimism of someone who is in love; they see the world through rose-colored glasses. “Suggestibility” refers to being somewhat naive and easy to hypnotize. Light-hearted and enthusiastic, they focus on exciting possibilities and pleasurable fantasies, and they believe they can do everything.
THE TYPE EIGHT SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION EIGHT: SATISFACTION
Self-Preservation Eights express the passion of lust through a focus on getting what they need for survival. SP Eights have a strong desire for the timely satisfaction of material needs and an intolerance for frustration. SP Eights know how to survive in di1cult situations and feel omnipotent when it comes to getting what they need. They are the least expressive and the most armed of the three Eight subtypes.
SOCIAL EIGHT: SOLIDARITY
The Countertype
Social Eights express lust and aggression in the service of others. A social antisocial person, this is the countertype of the Eights, a helpful Eight who appears less aggressive and more loyal than the other two Eight subtypes. The name “Solidarity” emphasizes their tendency to offer help when people need protection.
SEXUAL EIGHT: POSSESSION
Sexual Eights express lust through rebellion and the need to possess everyone’s attention. Sexual Eights are intense, charismatic characters who want to have control and influence. Instead of seeking material security, they try to get power over things and people. The name “Possession” refers to an energetic takeover of the whole scene—a need to feel powerful through dominating the whole environment.
THE TYPE NINE SUBTYPES
SELF-PRESERVATION NINE: APPETITE
Instead of feeling an ongoing connection to their feelings, desires, and power, Self-Preservation Nines focus on merging with physical comforts and routine activities, such as eating, sleeping, reading, or doing crossword puzzles. SP Nines are practical, concrete people who focus on everyday things rather than abstractions.
SOCIAL NINE: PARTICIPATION
The Countertype
Social Nines fuse with groups. They act out laziness when connecting with their own inner life by working hard to be a part of the different groups in their lives. Fun-loving, sociable, and congenial characters, Social Nines can be workaholics, prioritizing the group’s needs above their own. This high level of activity makes them the countertype of the three Nine subtypes.
Head Center
Embodying Mind
“Flower of Life” by Amanda Sage
Discovering Your Mystical Body – Part 6
Sometimes we think of “embodiment” as getting out of our head. Going back into our body and living more deeply in the physical, not always stuck in our thoughts or jumping with monkey mind. Being “disembodied” is sometimes even pictured as a detached cranium, like an old sci-fi cartoon with just a head flying around in a glass container.
The shadow side of the great evolution of our mental consciousness has been to negate the body. But in returning to the body, we certainly don’t want to fall prey to the same error, which would be to negate the head.
The head is part of the body—a pretty important one! And we’re not going to get very far without it.
Many spiritual practices of embodiment and otherwise primarily cultivate a temporary escape. Maybe even a benign war with the mind during the time of practice, especially in some forms of contemplative practice. When it works—and “success” rates vary greatly—this feels good as a brief reprieve (or is maddeningly frustrating when we “fail”), but usually afterward we find ourselves returning to everyday-mind consciousness. In the healthier forms, over time we will find that our mind becomes freer, identifying with a more expansive awareness and non-attached ease.
This battle with the ego or compulsive mind too often leaves us in a state of either/or. Times of “practice” become further separated from “everyday” reality, and the integration of these different states of mind very often proves extremely difficult. Even for those living in a monastery, let alone modern society.
In the mystical mind, we awaken to our healthy participation with our mind, with our thoughts, with a liberating and loving wisdom that flows into our life like a gentle breeze. Our heads are cleared and vibrant with a lucidity that opens us to insight and awareness that emerges a little differently, like the stirring of the wind.
It is the crucial waypoint, the go-between from nonattachment and ordinary consciousness. We are able to be present with a deeply engaged and open mind, less caught up in our own worries, comparisons, schemes, and all the compulsive pathways our thoughts run down. And genuinely inhabiting the fullness of the present realities of our life with a wise, free mind.
(Terminology note: “Mind” is largely used synonymously with “brain” or head, but can sometimes also convey a broader sense of knowing. As in most common usage there is little difference, we usually follow this connotation and reserve other terms for more holistic, embodied knowing.)
MYSTICAL STATES OF THE HEAD
Our entry state in our head is a little different because we are usually already there—we don’t need to enter! But in fact, we are trying to enter into a different state of mind than usual. And to get there, we need our compulsive thoughts and hyper-activity to quiet down a bit. Though if you’ve ever tried to quiet the mind with the mind, it’s sort of like trying to not think of an elephant. Good luck!
We’ve found that this is most effectively enacted by, in a sense, leaving before coming back. When we enter into the awakened energy of our body, particularly our heart center, and then return to our head, we find ourselves already in this different state. Our minds are often unusually calm, with a cleared vibrant stillness. A quiet spaciousness that is open and ready to receive.
Often, especially at first, we like to just enjoy this state. What a relief! Thoughts might arise, but as we stay connected to our heart and body energy, they will be much less frequent or arresting. It is here that we can actively and intentionally move into our awakened state, where we are less focused on “maintaining” the still mind and become welcoming.
Rather than dismiss thoughts as distractions, we are becoming aware of the arisings of our mystical mind. In our head center, these arisings can look like images of visionary knowing, a sort of “imaginative” arising that comes without our calling it forth. We can hear words from spirit guides or other forms of God-Beside-Us, not usually audibly but in our minds’ ear. We may even find smells or tastes arising, as the forms of these knowings from our head center often draw on our physical senses—our most common modes of perception.
In full, integrated participation, our head center is noticing and receiving impressions, sensations, and other forms of mystical knowing from our other centers as well. In the open, awakened mind, we don’t need to interpret, define, or systematize these arisings. We simply welcome and receive them, take a moment to discern if this is coming from awakened spirit, and then absorb or pass it along to another if it is for them.
With practice, we grow in the discernment of arisings that are coming from our awakened consciousness and those that are coming from our own compulsive thoughts, which often draw on random associations we perceive, unrelated visual cues, or are even driven by an ego need to perform, to quell anxiety, or in response to our own current feelings.
When we receive from the awakened mind, the source feels different. This discernment is best cultivated in community, where others can reflect the resonance and give feedback on the truth of what we’ve shared as coming from the awakened mind. Then we begin to get more of a sense of the feel of those sorts of arisings compared to others that tend to fall flat or dissolve away easily.
This is beginning to dwell in the divine consciousness of our awakened mind. The mind of Christ, full of incarnated wisdom and love.
Our next state can be to expand through our open mind into the unified state of transcendence into God-Beyond-Us. We often do this by visualizing our awareness expanding into the space above and beyond our own head, and then even all the way out into outer space—a wonderful metaphor for this transcendent state of being. This is a movement into Mystery, into a cosmic witness state of vastness. Participation in the infinite, beyond all.
THE MENTAL STRUCTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
“When thought began to usurp the spirit….” – Jean Gebser
Unlike the other structures we’ve explored so far, we have no need to recover the latent awareness within ourselves of the mental. We are full-on in it.
However, healthy integration in this center can be especially difficult—because we so often feel trapped in the mind, suffering from its imperialism, under the weight of thought, ego, and perspective. As Jean Gebser reflected put it,
“But it must be evident on the other hand that our present state is one of exhaustion; that is, what was at the beginning of our structure its constituting strength or energy has become exhausted in the course of the exfoliation of consciousness.”
It is the body that frees the mind. Not as an escape, but as an exfoliation of our consciousness. Opening us to knowing and awareness that is not just sealed in the mind. It is this freedom from mental exclusivity that will liberate us. And in this embodied freedom we can come into our wholeness, into a transparent lucidity that opens up a whole new dimension of being (which we’ll touch on in the coming weeks).
As such, the essential charge for our mind today is not to keep “piling on” further concepts, information, and attainments. But to really start to re-cognize, to become cognizant again of the world beyond its own confines. To make space for the other structures, to re-welcome our previous and necessary ways of being, knowing, and awareness in integrated clarity and discernment. To become whole again, and so be released to transform into something more, into a whole new structure of consciousness.
“Collective Consciousness” by Eduardo Rodriguez Calzado
THE “WE” OF THE MIND
The collective mind space is most often encountered as the shared field of information, of knowledge, of wisdom. Like the digital internet, with information stored in distant servers, the noosphere is the global, mystical cloud that holds the immaterial data and intelligence beyond anything we could ascribe to particular individuals—even though we may often encounter this reality in personal forms, spirit guides from the cloud of witnesses.
When we say that “something is in the air,” we are intimating this reality. Like the phenomena of scientific inventions and breakthroughs happening in multiple locations at very similar times—despite no direct contact or awareness of the others’ work. We see it in the animal kingdom in what is sometimes called “hive mind” or perhaps observed in murmuration.
Humans tap into this regularly, even if we don’t always think of it this way. The occurrence of “group think” is often one of its more pernicious expressions. Or when we get into a groove of collaborative work and the ideas just start flowing.
In the mystical WeSpace of the mind, we participate in this flow of ideas and knowledge with an access to this form of visionary knowing. Where we are “seeing” into this state could be called the spirit realm, or the collective field of awareness, or maybe even heaven on earth. In this mystical mind, we are not alone with/in our thoughts.
The more we access and encounter this reality, the more will our individual minds adapt and connect the new synapsis, joining into the neural pathways of the mind of God as we cultivate our mystical neuroplasticity.
“Awakening Mind and Soul” by Stephen Killeen
INTEGRATING YOUR MYSTICAL MIND WITH AWAKENED WISDOM
Our minds are certainly one of our greatest components to our embodied being. When we awaken to our mystical mind, we discover more and more all that our ordinary mind did not and could not know.
As we come into this visionary knowing and mystical insight, it is especially important to stay grounded and connected to our other centers. It may be our most vital integration even, to keep our minds in tune and flowing with the whole of our being and all our structures of consciousness—so as to not let our minds run us off down errant mystical pathways.
No matter the power of our mind, if we are not suffused with love in our hearts, if we do not have the vital energy from the source of our divine being in our wombs, if we are not grounded in the earth and our interconnectedness, then we will eventually find ourselves blown about, exhausted, and disembodied from our whole being. For this same reason, we also need loving community with one another and personal spirit forms of God-Beside-Us.
When our mystical mind is in harmony with our embodied wholeness, we are dwelling in the flow of spirit, the fullness of God-Being-Us coming out in our lives. Where we can be present with wisdom, knowledge, clarity, and discernment in all of our life situations. We can offer to others what we have learned and what we see in truly liberating ways—not just a passing along of information for the storehouse, but mystical intelligence for the transformation of our lives.
Another pathway of integration for our mind is with what we call “mental health” and healing. Our mental health crisis and the effects on numerous individuals and our societies connect to much more than just our head center, and integration can often be a vital aspect of healing. Some forms of mysticism and their associated states can further reinforce dissociation and avoidance of areas of our lives that need healing. In its many forms and approaches, the healing path is crucial and necessary to be whole and integrated in the fullness of our embodied being.
What other pathways of integration do you experience through the healthy outflow of your awakened, mystical mind?
Sometimes I think that the world’s problems would be solved if people just had the right information. If they knew what I knew, or what “my group” knows. And while there are plenty of helpful things to be learned, education alone is not enough. Wisdom even, is not enough. Our embodied mind is best lived in harmony with our whole body, just like all of our centers and the spaces in between—which we will explore next week.
