THE SYMBOL
INTRODUCTION
The Enneagram diagram is not just a triangle and a hexad structure enclosed within a circle but a symbol that hides a dense philosophy. It has the capicity to map the progress of any event in the material world from inception to completion (Palmer, 1991). The Enneagram is a representaton of the divine order of the universe and the place of humanity within it (Stevens, 2010). The symbol reveals the compulsions and laws that humanity slaves under but is also shows the path to liberation (Rohr, 2001). To substantiate these claims Enneagram authors turn to the mystical mathematics of Pythagoras, Plato and some of the Neoplatonic philosophers (Riso & Hudson, 1999; Rohr, 2001; Stevens, 2010). According to Koetsier and Bergmam (2005) the basic premise of mystical mathematics is that it transcends its practical and quantitative applications and is actually a reflection of the divine order of the universe. Mathematics operates as a link between the changing material world and the unchanging immaterial world (cited in Stevens, 2010). Based on this understanding, the exposition that follows considers the enneagram diagram as “a geometric and arithmetic representation of a continuious, universal unfolding that conforms to mathematical principles” (Stevens, 2010. p. 128). The continious, universal unfolding is governed by the Law of One, the Law of Three and the Law of Seven.
THE LAW OF ONE
The circle represents the Law of One, “all creation emanates from, exists within and will return to single source” (Stevens, 2010. p. 130). Almost every culture understands the unity, wholeness and onenes implied by a circle. Judaism, Islam and Christianity profess God as One (Riso & Hudson, 1999). The circle much like the wheel of India, suggests the cycles of nature and the ebb and flow of life.
THE LAW OF SEVEN
The hexad structure connecting points 1, 4, 2, 8, 5, 7 and back to 1 indicates the Law of Seven, “everything in the universe is in continual state of transformation” (Stevens, 201. p. 131). It has to do with process and development over time. Change is everwhere but it occurs in a predicatable and lawful way (Riso and Hudson, 1999). Gurdjieff (0000) said the Law of Seven “describes every transformative process in the universe, from the life of a cell to the life of a solar system unfolding in…seven successive steps” (Cited in Ouspensky, 1945). This law is demonstrated by the multiplaction of the numbers that are connected by the hexad. The mystical mathematical principle of transformation is revealed in the repeating sequence of the digits each time 142,857 is multiplied by any number between 1 and 7:
142,857 x 1 = 142,857
142,857 x 2 = 285,714
142,857 x 3 = 428,571
142,857 x 4 = 571,428
142,857 x 5 = 714,285
142,857 x 6 = 857,142
142,857 x 7 = 999,999
THE POWER OF NINE
This is seen as the Cycle of Transformation and culmultes at the end of the seventh cycle where the number 999,999 is produced. Nine is a sacred number that represents the boundary between the mundane and the transcendental. It is the measure of time that Homer used in the Ennead as the duration of the seige of Troy and the wanderings of Odysseus before he returned home. There are nine orders of angels and nine days to pray a novena. Christ gave up his spirit in the ninth hour. Nine is also the number of personality types that the Enneagram describes (Stevens, 2010).
THE LAW OF THREE
The Law of Three states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – brought to balance by a third balancing principle” (Stevens, 2010, p. 135). This law is illustrated in the Enneagram symbol by the central triangle joining points three, six and nine. This law is reflected in the Christrian Trinity, the three Hindu Dieties of creation, maintenaince and destruction and Hegel's theory of theseis, antithesis and synthesis. The inner triangle describes the process of transaction that occurs at each point of the Cycle of Transformation decsribed in the movement from 1 through to 7 and back to 1 in the hexad. Movement from each point entails a process of action, stabilization and crisis to propel the process to the next level.
Gurdjieff believed that the enneagram is a universal symbol through which all knowledge can be included and interpreted. Only once knowledge is interpreted through the Enneagram can it said to be truly understood. Gurdjieff saw the Enneagram as a system in motion. To teach the Enneagram, Gurdjieff drew an Enneagram on the floor and students would move in the direction of the numbers 1,4,2,8,5,7,and 9,3,6 and turn around each other as the lines intersected (Ouspensky, 1977). However, Gurdjieff never taught the Enneagram of personality types as it taught today. Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Naranjo would be the first modern day authors to include and interpret human personality in terms of the Enneagram (Riso & Hudson, 1999).
THE PASSIONS
The Christian understanding that a person is plauged by a particular fault, weakness or temptation more than any other is reflected in the Seven Deadly Sins. The Desert Fathers would offer spiritual guidance by focusing on the particular sin that a person under their care battled with. According to Pope Gregory the Great these sins are: sloth, anger, pride, envy, greed, gluttony and lust (Burke, 2008). During the 1950's Oscar Ichazo assigned the Seven Deadly Sins of the Christrian tradition together with the addition of deciet and fear to the nine points of the Enneagram (Rohr, 2001; Palmer, 1991; Riso & Hudson, 1999; Jaxon-Bear, 2005).
In a recent study of the origen of the Enneagram, David Burke (2008) examined newly discovered documents in the libraries of Mt Athos. Among the docuemnts was a letter from Evagrius of Pontus to a Monk named Eulogios. The letter described a system of nine passions and their corresponding virtues. As life enters the soul, the immature and unformed soul is unable to contain or manage the the dynamism of the life force and creates in the person an exestential reflex of fear, anger and envy. These inturn are expressed as the nine passions of: love of money, anger, pride, gluttony, listlesness, dejection, vainglory, fornication and jealousy. These passions distract a person from contemplating God. Fore each passion there was a corresponding virtue, the practice of which would lead to transformation.
Nous, the real self essense. Being, personality as an immitation etc..
A closer reading of Evagruis has led led Burke to reinterpret the passions of the Enneagram in terms of jelousy, anger and fear.
Pg 51 palmer... pg 7 maitri 12
HAVE TO EXPLAIN HOW THE ENNEAGRAM SEES THE FIXATIONS AND THE PASSIONS RELATE.
TYPE ONE
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this rational, idealistic type, the Reformer. The Reformer is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being corrupt, evil and defective and the basic desire to be be good, to have integrity, and to be balanced. This conflict results in critical perfectionism. Their passion is repressed anger and impatience.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type One as the Perfectionist. The Perfectionist's focus of attention is to evaluate what is correct or incorrect in a situation. They are critical of self and others and convinced there is one correct way. They feel ethically superior and procrastinate for fear of making a mistake. They use the words should and must frequently. However, evolved Ones can be critically astute and moral heroes.
TYPE TWO
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this caring and interpersonal type, the Helper. The Helper is generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive. Their personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being unwanted and unworthy of being loved and the basic desire to feel loved. This conflict results in the need to be needed. Their passion is pride.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Two as the Giver. The Giver's focus of attention is the desire for approving attention from other people. They demand affection and approval and seek to be loved and appreciated by becoming indispensible to another person. They meet other people's needs but are manipulative and aggressively seductive. However, evolved Twos are genuinely caring and supportive.
TYPE THREE
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this success-oriented and pragmatic type the Achiever. The Achiever is adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being worthless and the basic desire to feel valuable and worthwhile. This conflict results in chasing after success. Their passion is deciet.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Three as the Performer. The Performer's focus of attention is the positive recognition relative to tasks and performance. They are competitive and obsessed with image as a winner and with comparitive status and masters of appearances. As Type A personalities they confuse real self and job indentity but can appear to be more productive than they actually are. However, evolved Threes can be effective leaders, do well in marketing, competent promoters, captains of winning teams.
TYPE FOUR
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this sensitive and withdrawn type the Individualist. The Individualist is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear that they have no identity or personal significance and the basic desire to find themselves and their significance (to create an identity). This conflict results in self-indulgence. Their passion is envy.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Four as the Tragic Romantic. The Tragic Romantic's focus of attention is on the best aspects of what is unavailable and the worst aspects of what is avaialble. Therefore , they are attracted to the unavailable and the ideal is never here and now. They are tragic, sad, artistic and sensitive, always focussed on the absent loveror the loss of a friend. However, evolved Fours are creative in their way of life and are able to help other people through their pain. They are commited to beauty and the passionate side of life: birth, sex, intensity and death.
TYPE FIVE
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this intense and cerebral type the Investigator. The Investigator is perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being useless, helpless, or incapable and the basic desire to be capable and competent. This conflict results in useless specialization. Their passion is greed or stinginess.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Five as the Observer. The Observer's focus of attention is the wish to maintain privacy. They maintain emotional distance from others and don't get emotionally involved. Doing without is a defense against involvement as they feel drained by commitment and other peoples' needs. They compartmentalize obligations to remain detached from people, feelings, and things. However, evolved Fives can be excellent decision makers, ivory tower intellectuals, and abstemious monks.
TYPE SIX
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this committed and security-oriented type the Loyalist. The Loyalist is engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being without support and guidance and the basic desire to have security and support. This conflict results in an attachement to beliefs and authority. Their passion is fear.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Six as the Devil's Advocate. The Devils Advocate's focus of attention is the environment for clues that indicate the hidden intention of others. They are fearful, dutiful and plauged by doubt. They procrastinate due to their fear of taking action because exposure may lead to attack. Surprisingly, they identify with the cause of the underdog and are quite antiauthoritarian. They are self-sacrificing and loyal to a cause. There are two types of Sixes: the phobic Sixes vacilate, feel persecuted and cave in when cornered and the counterphobic Sixes feel perpetually cornered and therefore go out to confront the terror in an aggressive way. However, evolved Sixes can be great team players, loyal solders, and good friends. They will work for a cause in the same way others work for a profit.
TYPE SEVEN
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this busy and fun-loving type the Enthusiast. The Enthusiast is spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being deprived and in pain and the basic desire to be satisfied and content and to have their needs fulfilled. This conflict results in frenetic escapism. Their passion is gluttony.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Seven as the Epicure. The Epicurer's focus of attention is pleasant mental associations and optimistic future plans. They are the Peter Pan, the puer aeternus- the eternal youth of the Enneagram types. They have a dilettantish, superficial, adventurous and gourmet approach to life. Having trouble with commitment, they want to keep their options open to stay emotionally high. They are generally happy and stimulating to be around. They may have the habit of starting things but not seeing them through. However, evolved Sevens are good synthesizers, theoreticians and Renaissance types.
TYPE EIGHT
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this powerful and dominating type the Challenger. The Challenger is self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of being harmed or controlled by others and the basic desire to protect themselves (to be in control of their own life and destiny). This conflict results in constant fighting. Their passion is lust.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Eight as the Boss. The Boss's focus of attention is any indication of loosing control. They are extremely protective over self and friends. They are combatitive, take charge and love a fight as they make contact through toe-to-toe confrontation and have respect only for opponents who will stand and fight. There are often open displays of anger and force. Their excessive way of life is characterised by too much, late nights and extravagance. However, evolved Eights are excellent leaders, especially in the adversarial role. They are powerful supporters for other people and often want to make the way safe for frends.
TYPE NINE
Riso and Hudson (1999) call this easygoing and self-effacing type the Peacemaker. The Peacemaker is receptive, reassuring, agreeable, and complacent. The personality is formed around the conflict between the basic fear of loss and separation and the basic desire to have inner stability and peace of mind. This conflict results in stubborn neglectfulness. Their passion is sloth.
Palmer (1991) describes the Ennea-type Nine as the Mediator. The Mediator's focus of attention is other people's agendas and points of view. They are obsessively ambivalent able to see all points of view and readily replace own wishes with those of others and real goals with inessential activities. They are more in touch with other people' s needs more than with their own. Despite being agreeable their anger comes out in indirect ways and passive aggressively. However, evolved Nines make excellent peacemakers, counselors, negotiators and achieve well when on track.
What next?
Do I continue with a description of the passions...?
Assign the passions
Then describe the nine types
Then the psychological theories that have been applied to the Enneagram
Finishing with Karen Horney?
With an illustration of how Karen Horney has been used.
Conclude with a comment that if the enneagram is a symetrical, universal integrating symbol then a pattern must emerge between the enneagram and Karen Horney three trends.
My own hypotheseis is that there will be a cluster of aggressive types, withdrawn types and towards types.
I would like to runaway right now though. My eyes are heavy, tired, all I want is to go to sleep. Jaren Horney would say this is asympton of a conflict between two opposing sides of myself. I wonder what they are – the one just to chill, do nothing – not true – to do only what I like. Ja? I have always said it is to do nothing but I really would like to do what I want.
What beliefs do I have about doing what I want?
Well my want come second – I cannot do what I want until I have sorted everyones elses stuff. Good exampe os Ish comig home. He expects me to be waiting at the door – but he would never do that for me. I enjoyed the movie last night – I felt guilty watching it- wasting time. Helga is right – never waste the valuable time before the years pass. Waste time has to be caught up on.
The Cycle of Transformation
The Enneagram describes seven sequential steps that must
be passed through in order to complete a single cycle
of change. The Cycle of Transformation describes the
succession of stages by which transformation occurs.
Evolutionarily, human beings are apprehensive of any
imminent change to their circumstances or environment.
The Enneagram describes nine ways that human beings
attempt to exert control over their immediate environment in order to
avoid change and conflict. For each of us there is one stage in the Cycle of
Transformation that we believe is more critical to our personal survival than
the others. There is one set of behaviors with which we are more familiar and
more practiced at implementing than the others. That stage is represented by
our personality type. Rather than move through all of the stages required for
personal or organizational transformation, we become fixated on that stage.
The personality, by controlling the
available resources and immediate environment, is designed to ensure personal
survival. Moving away from the habitual behaviors and onward through the
Cycle of Transformation, although seemingly inviting chaos and disorder, is a
conscious and rational choice that will ultimately lead to personal growth
or transformation. (STEVENS, 2010).
Evagrius of Pontus.
some remarkable recent discoveries in the libraries of Mt. Athos new
light has been shone upon the Evagrian Corpus. Among the recovered
writings is a letter to the monk Eulogios that describes a psychological
system of nine passions and their corresponding virtues dating back
to the fourth century CE. p.77
The following is a reflection upon Evagrius’ use of the nine logosmoi, their
corresponding virtues, and the implications for their application in conjunction
with the Enneagram system of psychological understanding. p.78
Who was he
Evagrius lived in the great desert contemplative experiment of the Nile Delta.
He was highly educated in Greek history and philosophy, and of course,
Christian theology, and had been a “stand out” participant at the First Council
of Constantinople. He was later exiled to rural Egypt, where he found a world of
Egyptian Coptic Christianity, which was populated by down-to-earth, hardworking
individuals, almost all of whom could neither read nor write. As a
consequence, Evagrius, who was a towering intellectual figure of late antiquity,
was also shaped by the earthiness and timeliness of Coptic Christianity.
Amongst these “lost” texts
is the Eulogios and an annexure that sets out Evagrius’s nine passions and their
corresponding virtues. An authoritative English translation of the Eulogios
and its annexure only became available in 2003. The existence of these texts is
intriguing, for we know that Gurdjieff ’s “Seekers after Truth” visited Mt Athos
at a time when the Russian Church had significant influence over the Holy
Mountain.4 It seems certain that they would have had access to the libraries and
their manuscripts, which have only recently been revealed to the West. That
Evagrius wrote a treatise on nine passions, which was held extant in monasteries
known to have been visited by Gurdjieff ’s collaborators (and only there), is a
remarkable coincidence.5
While Evagrius uses the word logosmoi to describe these psychological states, he
also uses the word “passion” interchangeably with logosmoi. The nine passions, as
described by Evagrius, arise in an individual, but do not necessarily lead to their
manifestation or acting out by the individual. p.81
Central to an understanding of Evagrius’ schema is the fact that opposed to
these logosmoi, is the purification and transformation of the “nous,” or mind.
“the mind, the nous, is the highest dimension of the human
person. It is the image of God within us, that which is most like its creator.
And since it is the most God-like part of us, it is the faculty most capable of
knowing God.”15 Harmless (2004) p.81
For Evagrius, contemplation allowed an individual to be
fully human and fully alive, and the Christian message was to bring life so that a
person may live it to the full;29 while the acting out of the passions condemned
an individual to only a fraction of their human entitlement. Further, Evagrius
believed that it was only in the cessation of the thoughts, the feelings, and the
judgments evident in the daily psychology of a person, that a clear view of a
transformed world and transformed human consciousness was possible.
Mindfulness is attained when a person is able to observe the normally habitual
and invisible patterns of human thought, feeling, and judgment, in real time,
rather than upon reflection at a later point in time. This real time self-observation
allows the person to choose between the drive of the passion/personality and the
call to transcendence by the unformed soul.
In the same way, the Enneagram, like Evagrius, in as much as it describes the nine passions of human personality,
describes nine states of stupor or trance which can be overcome by a state
of mindfulness.
The Enneagram, like Evagrius, describes nine states of stupor which act in
concert or succession to obstruct surrender and love. The personality types
described by the Enneagram are psychological defensive structures against
threats to survival, which include the selfless and sacrificing love for the Beloved.
The Enneagram provides a blueprint of the unconscious, habitual, invisible
human thoughts, feelings, and judgments that act to protect the self and selfinterest,
and as a consequence to deny virtue, love, and surrender. P 86
Ok so now what.
This is the plan. In terms of wanting to present the dissertaton with life and enjoyment, I take the history of the Enneagram and place it in the context of the early church.
What are my brush strokes. I paint the picture of the Enneagram symbol showing how the mathamatical simmetry forms a powerful symbol of understanding the world. Speak about the law of 7 three and nine...
Next I paint onto the canvas the story of the passions, showing how they form the basis of the personality descriptions. I can speak of Evagrius and his passions.
Link this to the understanding of personality... personality vs ego, mind and true self. Real self and image.
When is it time to describe the nine personality types.
Triads etc.
I feel the energy running low. Where am I in this process? I have had the three moment of lets do – now I want to embed the knowledge but I am already questioning the method. I have not given it a chance to bed down.
Where am I in terms of the 7 stages -
Housekeeping – getting things cleaned up to prepare the space to work? How do I do this as a one? I want everything to be in its place. I reduce my anxiety by cleaning up, doing odd little nonsense jobs, lean on the nine procrastination. OK so this is where the project is right now.
I am at nine in the process – attempting to bed down but am already asking questions. This process however is actually helping me to bed down. I want to leave, go for a wonder through the garden. Isis OK to go with that motivation – move with the flow? So I still sit in the housekeeping – not quite happy that everything is in its place - That is why I downloaded the dissertations to see how Vasi works>
How am I feezing at this level – how am I refusing to move onto Identity. Four creative – something new – I feel a pull to this in the process - I want to articulate and represent the specialness of my dissertation. I do not know how to do this so I stumble – interesting. So lets try jump in
The Enneagram symbol offers a
p. 10 The work of Evagrius – Teaching on the passions and in the descriptio of a figure that is based on Pythagorean numerological speculation, which displays essent...
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