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Ennea TRIAD Basics (Part 3a)

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triad flowers
I NEED TO UNDERSTAND
so I can control my environment

PREVIOUS: Basic Triads, Part 2b

 

SECOND Triad (567) : HEAD, Mental-based character structure
#5 = Observer – – Energy: ‘Invisible’ Detachment, Hoarding
#6 = Questioner Energy: Fight 6 – Jabbing Confrontation
Agreement seeking – – – –  Flight 6 – Poised-for-flight Scanning
#7 = Adventurer Energy: Airy Excitement, Re-framing

At a party: If you stand at the door, looking around to see who’s there & what’s happening, you’re likely in the Head triad. You want to have a good idea of what to expect before going in to a new situation, approaching others cautiously.

Flow: Head-centered people think first – act and feel later. They tend to view life as outsiders looking in. Their driving ‘sin’** is fear, feeling separate from people and their environment

**”SIN” – the Enneagram comes out of a spiritual-direction tradition, so it teaches that each type has a definite sin disrupting their journey toward psychological & spiritual wholeness. In Greek it means “to miss the mark,” so it’s what makes us miss the ‘target’ in our life, which must be confronted & integrated

POSITIVE 567s notice more than other people, but don’t realize that most can’t see the same things they do, or don’t see things the same way! At their best they’re knowledgeable, intellectual & brilliant & visionary. (Bill Gates…). But caught up in the world of ideas, they can forget about the rest of the body (Shertriad 567lock Homes).

Purpose: “The goals of this center are to help us all minimize anxiety, manage potentially painful situations They want to gain a sense of certainty through the mental processes of analyzing, figuring out, envisioning, imagining & planning.

In addition, all of us depend on the HEAD Center of Intelligence to develop the higher qualities of wisdom, inner knowing & thoughtfulness.” ~ David Daniels, M.D

Physical center: Their main activity takes place in the Head, where they make decisions based either on logic on & mental processes (thinking things thru).
Also – they’re acutely aware of the environment, living very much in the present, & instinctively take everything in by physical senses (touch, taste, smell is the way to their “holy idea”) – because it gets them out of being stuck in mental loops

Priority: They want to create security by making sense of the world & other people – using ideas, concepts & rational thinking. Their most important quest is for Truth – for what’s real & what’s not.

Their implied Q is: “What does it all mean?” as they constantly try to figure out how each piece of information they’ve gathered fits in with everything else they’ve picked up. Controlling all the pieces by ‘understanding’ things makes them feel safer

Direction: 567 Types initially move away or withdraw from relationship
Key Mode: Detachment & upward displacement (away from gut)
Key Words: Assurance, Certainty, Opportunity, Predictability, Safety, Security

Basic defense: A concentration of mental energy makes it possible to detach from emotions & the body, to live in the mind. Fear of life (& death) is countered by thinking, explaining, rationalizing. Personal wants & needs are explained away or simply not felt.
Neurotic Style: Paranoid/schizoid process – distrust leads to withdrawing from contact with the world, to figure things out & feel protected.  Re. Emotion:
5s externalize their fear
6s repress their fear, as a primary strategy
7s internalize their fear inwardly

Life challenge: To integrate mind & body. They have trouble combining their inner world with the outer environment. For them – being ‘seen’ is a two-sided dilemma:
— if they get noticed, they lose their valued privacy
— if they don’t get seen they get too isolated, & feel unappreciated for all their knowledge

Much of the time they have lots of ideas & plans that never go anywhere, which tend be forgotten or go unnoticed. In business, being rigid & dogmatic in their thinking (they’re always right!) can create resentment & conflict, but they don’t know why, since they’re just being ‘reasonable’.
📌 The primary attraction / avoidance dance is trust vs. non-trust.

NEXT: Triad basics – Part 2c

Ennea TRIAD Basics (Part 2a)

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ALL OF MY ENERGY
goes to looking good to others

PREVIOUS:
 Basic Triads, Part 1

 


FIRST Triad (234) : HEART, Emotion-based character structure
#2 = Sentimentalist Energy: Aggressive Affection, Helpful
#3 = Enthusiast – – – Energy: Charismatic Producer, Successful
#4 = Romanticist – – Energy: Dramatic pull, Authentic

At a party: When you get to the door, what do you do?
If you walk right in, say hello & start chatting – you might belong in the Heart triad

Flow: Heart-centered people feel first – act & think later. They are very conscious of the community around them & how they’re being received.
Their driving ‘sin’ is pride – constantly engaged in image management, so they’ll be well received by others

POSITIVE 234s have flexibility & skill in relationships, achieving success by empathy – being attuned to & meeting social expectations, & sensitive to the vast potential of the human heart

Purpose: “Every Type depends on emotional intelligence to develop the higher qualities of the Heart Center, including empathy, understanding, compassion and loving-kindness.
The HEART center energy tunes us into the mood & feeling state of ourselves & others, so we can meet the vital needs for contact & approval. We can get recognition from others to help support our self-esteem, & fulfill our need for love & connection.” ~ David Daniels, M.D

Physical center is the spinal column, which allows free & comftoward othersortable movement around the outer world, to accomplish all the tasks they set for themselves. They use their energy to ‘feel’ what others want from them, so they can adapt themselves

Priority: Their relationship-needs are for recognition & approval, establishing personal identity through connecting & being seen. 234s tend to rate themselves by how others rate them – to the point of ignoring their own wishes. Their attention is so outwardly focused that it’s hard for them to access their Inner Space

CONFUSING: Actually – they’re only concerned with how they appear to themselves – keeping h image of being “good”- but it has to be through the eyes of others

Direction: 234 Types move towards others, to engage in relationship
Key Mode: Substitution of worth
Key Words: Affection, Approval, Assurance, Bonding, Certainly, Connection, Image, Love, Opportunity, Predictability

Basic defense: Their Emotional intelligence is used to form an “image self” to get recognition & approval, which helps overcome an internal sense of deficiency or emptiness. Trying to meet the expectations of others is a substitute for personal needs & wants
Neurotic Style: ‘Hysteric’ process – unconsciously building up emotional energy & then discharging it willy-nilly into the environment (over-reacting, clowning….)

Life challenge: To find the balance between Self and Other, autonomy & dependence, alots of activitycknowledging & expressing their authentic Inner state.
They tend to resist this inward turn, using many rationalizations to ‘explain’ why they can’t or don’t have time to be introspective.
Each of the 3 types will have their specific excuse, based on lack of self-esteem & emotionally hooked to the past.
Their two major themes are: Identity: “Who am I?” and
Hostility : “I hate you for not loving me in the way I want!”.

Re. Emotion 
2s externalize their shame, & create an image of good person
3s feel conflicted between feeling shame & creating an image of success
4s internalize their shame, & create an image of unique identity
“SHAME eats away at the very core of who you are, wondering if you have enough value to meet all the demands of life & love.  Without a clear answer to this question, you set out to get evidence – to prove your worth, in many unproductive & unhealthy ways. All that effort – to get something you already have.” (MORE…..)

• Their Primary Instinct “To DO something” means they have a need to respond to other people or circumstances in order to stay connected.
This is true even if they’re not feeling something themselves, or don’t actually like the person or group. P.D .Ouspensky called them ‘Natural Imitators”, sometimes generating emotions they think suitable to a given situation. They create a facade for others to relate to – of like-ability (2s), success (3s) & uniqueness (4), & then become dependent on the reactions of others for their sense of value & worth.

NEXT: Heart Triad (2b)

Ennea TRIAD Basics (Part 1)

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triad proportions<—- DIAGRAM – Each Type’s proportion
of the triune brain, combining: (scroll down)
Intellect (green)
Emotions (blue)
Instinct (red)

PREVIOUS: Type Strengths (#4c)

SITEs: Ennea Triads – Centers of Intelligence

 

BASIC TRIADS
 As mentioned in ‘Enneagram Basics – Part 3’, there are many different ways to sub-divide the Enneagram, usually in groups of 3. Others will be addressed as well, but we start with the fundamentals, always enn triadsbeginning with TYPE 2.
The Triad that our Type falls into dictates the general way we approach life’s challenges. This gets combined with our specific VICE (character weakness) to form our Driving Need. These create all our traits & desires, fueling an automatic way of responding in the world, often cleverly disguised as defense mechanisms (Enn. Defects, Part 3a…..).

NOTE: Main approaches to categorizing the trios
a. From Helen Palmer – the most popular approach :
234= Heart-based Emotion  // 567= Head-based, Reason  // 891=Gut-based, Instinct

b. From Don Riso:  Feel / Do / Relate to environment

c. From Dick Wright, PhD, who believes his approach is truer to Gurdjieff’s original teachings:  234 = Doers // 567 = Perceivers // 891 = Feelers/ Sensers**.

◆ Each grouping is named by the function they do best, & what’s most important to each type in the sub group: (see below).
The Primary style is what is most Instinctual, the 2nd is an Auxiliary & the 3rd is Buried —->  EXP: Quality that’s buried for Type 7 is ‘Doing’ = to motivate

**In the Enneagram, Feeling or SENSING refers to basic, primitive instincts which come from deep inside & can’t be faked (891s). It does not mean Emotion or Sentiment – like the ‘show’ of 234s, which is more surface – a reaction to external ideas & events – picked up from others.

DOERS Triad (HEART #s 234) – They Motivate
Unconscious Types that deal with life experiences. Focus: emotive center
POSITIVE purpose : To achieve healthy, perfect union with others, the universe & with Spirit, to understand the stages of human development that create maturity and wholeness.
NEGATIVE use : To manipulate one’s own & others’ way of feeling, including the emotional climate within relationships

PERCEIVERS Triad (HEAD #s 567) – They Communicate
Conscious Types that define & justify emotions. Focus: theoretical center
POSITIVE Purpose: To develop creative vision & open people up to the real meaning of life, to be fully conscious of the true nature of self and others.
NEGATIVE Use: To think, plot & make intellectual decisions limited by a narrowly defined universe.

SENSERS Triad (GUT / Body #s 891) – They Translate
Subconscious Types that deal with sensations. Focus: effective center
POSITIVE Purpose: To energize & motivate people to actively live as we were intended, according to our true purpose & vision, to actively create & complete the work we are meant to do.
NEGATIVE Use: To protect & preserve our physical body & fulfill our basic needs, no matter the cost to others.
«enn TRIAD expressions

«
NEXT: Triads (Part 2a)

 

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 4c)

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jad0055
EACH OF US
has our own path

PREVIOUS: Type Strengths  (Part 4b)

REMINDER – Use ‘Blue’ chart in Part 4a as reference for all below


HOLY IDEAS & VIRTUES / STRENGTHS (cont.)

#6 VIRTUE: Courage is available when negative projections are seen as Toxic Beliefs of the mind, rather than reality. Reaction against or away from fear becomes irrelevant when we see the fear is self-created

LOYALISTS are attentive to people & problems, committed, courageous, loyal, reliable, strategic thinkers, w/ shared values, solidity
— They really want to make the world a safer, more secure, reliable, trustworthy place to live in.
— They value/are attracted to Loyalty, & stand by their commitments

Holy FAITH provides the experience of the actual support from Presence &enn - holy-ideas 6 Being that exists right now – which is beyond the obvious. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. This Ideas infuses me with trust & the courage to respond spontaneously to what ever happens in the moment, not bound by belief, habit or doubt.

HIGHER MIND: Faith – 6s, are in the habit of doubting everything, so they can easily erase signs of success by equally ‘believable’ thoughts used to argue away positive experiences. It takes a leap of faith for 6s to keep their attention focused on genuinely positive experiences, continue their Recovery & spiritual practices, pursue projects that encourage them……
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#7 VIRTUE: Sobriety, ie. having a Clear Head, which comes from understanding that fulfillment ultimately develops from within & nowhere else. We learn that a more meaningful & deeper experience of life is missed when it’s sampled superficially

EPICURES are adventurous, appreciative, focus talents well, fun-loving, quick thinking, satisfied. Like adventure, excitement, variety
— They really want to enjoy life & experience all its possibilities, envision making the world a more delightful place to live in
— They value /are attracted to Joy & newness

Holy PLANNING / Wisdom tells us that we are part of a Greater Plan, soenn - holy-ideas 7 we don’t have to anticipate or figure out where we’re going & are willing to take the negative with the positive. I know that in this moment I’m having the optimal experience I’m supposed to, & the pleasure is in the journey itself.

HIGHER MIND: Work implies a complete commitment to a single course of action, rather than flitting from project to project because they don’t want to miss out on something good. Setting appropriate boundaries for themselves & sticking to a good plan – even if criticized – allows them to accomplish a great deal.
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#8 VIRTUE: Magnanimity – the wise & balanced use of their power, knowing there’s a right and wrong time for aggression. “Liberty consists in wholesome restraint.” ~ Daniel Webster.
Mercy – not needing vengeance on or blame of – others or self – for losing the connection to the Whole (“If only I had been stronger….”)
Innocence (simplicity) from being able to feel subtle sensations & emotions, rather than go for excesses & intense experience.

BOSSES (ex-Bullies) are dependable, enthusiastic, generous, heroic, inspiring, loyalty, powerful, self-mastering, strong, improve others’ lives
— They really want to live life fully, freely – using their strength to influence others & help create a more just world where power and resources are equitably distributed
— They’re attracted to, appreciate & can effectively handle power

Holy TRUTH /Innocence is the understanding that “all is one”, that GodEnn - holy-ideas 8 is everywhere & omni-present. I can overcome my limited & biased perspective (trying to balance the scales of justice according to a personal sense of fairness) & recognize that all differences at all levels of existence are part of one unfathomable reality that is Truth – so I don’t have to push & control.

HIGHER MIND: Truth – In mature 8s the neurotic need to create conflict as a way to discover buried truth is a habit of the past. No longer threatened by the possibility of being unfairly controlled by others, 8s connect with a rare capacity to recognize each individual’s real needs, wishes & truth.
✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥

#9 VIRTUE: Action / Participation frees up energy to pursue our goals and desires, formerly used to shut out anything felt to be disturbing. Right Action is the willingness to engage in life & stay engaged, no matter what happens, eliminating laziness or inertia which depends on using others to give us direction.

PEACEMAKERS are accepting, all-embracing, balanced, comfort-oriented, harmonizing, indomitable, peaceful, stable, heal conflicts
— They really want to feel ‘at one’ & at home – to make the world a more harmonious, ecumenical, comfortable place to live in
— They value /are attracted to Harmony, peace, unity

Holy LOVE (unconditional) holds that every being in the universe has enn - holy-ideas 9value & significance, both the world around us & our Self, which releases us from the trap of self-abasement. It has the dynamic effect of energizing the virtue of action, while cultivating compassion, nobility & unshakable inner peace.

HIGHER MIND: Love/Charity – in its higher form, love has less to do with an emotional response than 9s with being able to focus their attention on a point inside themselves, from which the loved-one can be connected with. This prevents trying to merge with others as the reason for existence – which is not Love. The goal is to be able to sense the condition of others while still being aware of the Self.

OVERVIEW: Spectrum of Personality Styles

NEXT:

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 4b)

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virtues - 2 EACH OF US
has our own talent

PREVIOUS: Type Virtues & Holy Ideas (Part 4a)

SITE: “How Each Types Sees Their Every-day Life” (scroll to page 21-22)

REMINDER – use Blue-&-White chart in part 4a as reference (by P.Ferrieux)

HOLY IDEAS & VIRTUES / STRENGTHS – Cont.
#2 Virtue: Humility overrides Pride as we come to truly see & accept that we’re not indispensable, & that everyone is equally important & needed
● HELPERS are affectionate, altruistic, caring, communicators, emotionally connected, familiar, popular, unselfish, warm
— They really want to be loving, to nurture others & encourage relationships & making the world a more loving place to live in
— They value / are attracted to Love

enn - holy-ideas 2Holy WILL : I acknowledge that there is only One Will, with a Purpose beyond the self-centered motive of feeling important to & being needed by others. I am aware that Reality flows with a certain force, & the easiest way to ‘live well’ is to move with it. Freedom is the feeling of openness when I experience the unfolding of Divine Will.

HIGHER MIND: Freedom comes when 2s are able to recognizing their own needs, by not compulsively helping others & regularly paying attention to themselves. Withdrawing their focus on others interrupts a negative habit 2s usually depend on for emotional security. This frees them to provide self-care.
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#3 VIRTUE: Truthfulness/Integrity comes easily when our True Self is accepted. Packaging & selling of ourselves becomes unnecessary when we have no reason for a deceitful appearance (False Self).

ACHIEVERS are admirable, attractive, authentic, competent, energetic, high achievers, inspirational, self-accepting, successful
— They really want to make the world a cosmos – a more efficient, organized, productive, smooth running harmonious & orderly system
— They value/are attracted to Competence, industry, productivity

enn - holy-ideas 3Holy HARMONY corrects the false perception that the ego is the source of doing & functioning. It means the universe as a whole already functions in efficient harmony & I doesn’t need to compete with that in order to prove myself. I fully realize & surrender to the knowledge that I am not separate doer, & that all experience is part of the great Reality.

HIGHER MIND: Hope – anxiety drops away when 3s truly believe that each stage of work leads to a correct conclusion. Then they feel alive in the middle of activity, & become skilled at sensing energy requirements of different jobs. Healthy 3s say it’s like floating on a wave of inexhaustible energy
✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥

#4 VIRTUE: Equanimity comes when we see our positives & negatives equally. The half-truth of envy loses its validity when we stop comparing the positives of others with what we think we don’t have.

INDIVIDUALISTS are accepting, communicators, compassionate, creative, emotionally honest & deep, idealistic, inspired, good listeners
— They aspire to be special – really wanting to be unique & to put their personal touch on everything they’re involved in, to make the world more beautiful
— They value/are attracted to originality & beauty.

enn - holy-ideas 4Holy ORIGIN tells us that ‘being’ is the source & origin of our true identity. I see that I am not separate from everything, that all parts of the universe express the Great creative intelligence. Since I am an aspect of that creative flow I cannot be otherwise. My life will unfold in unique ways, & finding my authentic self comes by being ‘in the flow’.

HIGHER MIND: Originality – 4s want to be unique so they resist being re-shaped into an ‘ordinary’ happy person. Actually, their attitude is not ‘just in their head’ but a legitimate need, and their tenacious resistance to conforming remind the rest of us to connect to our own higher awareness
✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥ ✥

#5 VIRTUE: Detachment from vulnerability & over-protection comes when we no longer feel in danger of being overwhelmed by emotions, & learn that the world is better understood by participating in it. Greed for alone-time makes us less prepared to live in the world, not more.

INTELLECTUALS are intense, involved, non-intrusive, perceptive, scholarly, self-reliant, visionary pioneers, have wonder
— They really want to make the world a more enlightened place by discovering what is real & true, & making it more understandable.
— They value/are attracted to Knowledge, truth, understanding, wisdom

enn - holy-ideas 5Holy OMNISCIENCE is the direct knowing of Essence, which includes all that exists in its various manifestations, yet does not negate Unity. When I abide in my True Nature I know the Great Intelligence, & my minds is clear – I see that feeling safe in the world comes from participation & experience, rather than watching from the sidelines in the hope of understanding it before jumping in.

HIGHER MIND: All-Knowing becomes available when in a non-thinking state of mind – which is the opposite of trying to find out every tiny aspect of a given subject. Rather – it’s being able to engage the Inner Observer that allows its own awareness to merge with impressions of the past, present & future possibilities & events.

NEXT: Type VIRTUES (Part 4c)

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 4a)

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k5941299THERE ARE MANY MORE
pieces to this puzzle

PREVIOUS: Type Strengths (Part 3)

SITE: Ennea Happiness & Strengths (fun)

 

STRUCTURE of PERSONALITY
Claudio Naranjo has united several theories, contrasting Essence to Personality (the conditional Self/lesser mind TO the Real Being/Higher Mind). This chart shows his variation of Ichazo & Gurdjieff’s view of the human psyche, made up of five centers, with the addition of two higher centers of the ‘awakened’ individual.

● It’s based on the current view of optimal mental health that the outer expressions of Personality do not represent the True Self within, but are motivated by a sense of deficiency – the passions/drives repressing, contaminating & replacing core instincts. The Bound (lower) parts include the Enneagram’s Triad of Instincts:
— Self-Preservation, for personal survival
— Sexual, for intimate one-to-one connection
— Social, for connection to the larger world. More in future posts. (MORE…..Chart—>.)

ESSENCE:  Higher Mind drives the automatic orientation toward our specific qualities of awareness – not mediated by every-day thinking.
The Virtues are automatic bodily responses – not directed by personal likes or dislikes.

Although higher mental awareness is different from its counterparts in the Personality, it’s easy to mistakenly assume we are in our Essence when we – think humble thoughts (4s), force ourselves to be brave (6s), feel we’ve been of ‘great service’ (2s)….. These reactions are only indirectly related to being open, undefended & attuned to the environment & other people. Fortunately, each type has the unconscious drive to identify AND the conscious ability to outgrow ‘the trance of type’.

LIBERATION & Presence* (being fully awake)
2 = Humility. By Disinterestedness we can express Altruism
3 = Integrity. By Self-acceptance we gain Genuineness
4 = Equanimity. By Self-renewal we achieve Creativity

5 = Generosity. By Understanding we experience Discovery
6 = Courage. By Self-Affirmation we gain Courage
7 = Sobriety. By Assimilation we experience Gratitude

8 = Subtlety. By Self-restraint we can express Magnanimity
9 = Engagement. By Self-possession we find Fulfillment
1 = Serenity. By Discernment we gain Tolerance

*Presence – the opposite of being trapped in our Enneagram style – when we’re controlled by a younger part of ourselves, habitually acting out of the past as a reflex. When we’re not truly awake to current experiences, our judgments are flawed & our actions inappropriate. Being Present is a spiritual process, & while it’s not easy, it is a crucial requirement for a full life.

Overviews – Holy Ideas are the essential qualities of Reality.
The left-hand chart shows Universal Reality coordinated with the Enneagram’s Heart, Head, Body.  enn - holy-ideas 2 TRIADS
Use the right-hand chart as the model for the #1-9  diagrams that follow. (All created by P.Ferrieux)

HOLY IDEAS & VIRTUE (STRENGTHS)
#1 VIRTUE: Serenity is the recognition that Reality is inherently perfect. As part of that reality, we are already ‘perfect’ so we can be open & accept the conditions that we are working with, trusting that whatever wisdom we may need will be available in the moment

PERFECTIONISTS are fair, honest, honorable, improvement-oriented, noble, responsible, want equality with a shared purpose and values, can be morally heroic
— They really want to be good people & make the world a better place, to realize all their potentials & help others actualize theirs
— They value/are attracted to Goodness & right-ness

Holy PERFECTION points to the more universal sense of perfection , which we can only uncover in small doses. I see that my purpose is not to achieve some transcendental level but to deal with the imperfect world with acceptance. Everything is already as it should be, so when I’m in “here and now” the moment is always perfect. I can trust the process & bring my support to every situation with compassion.

HIGHER MIND: True Perfection isenn - holy-ideas 1
a balance of positive & negative elements blending together at every moment. Any perfect relationship, event or product has to go through stages, including occasional bad risks or bad timing. So – 1s can benefit by accepting that what can seem like terrible mistakes are connected to an ultimately correct outcome. Their only responsibility is doing the best job they can at any given time

NEXT: Type VIRTUES (Part 4b)

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 3)

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enn water over rocks AS WATER FLOWS OVER ROCKS
so do my Gifts from out of me

PREVIOUS: STRENGTHS (#2)

SITE: Popular Enneagram books

REMINDER:  In this context – EGO = FALSE SELF,  NOT the same as a HEALTHY EGO, and read “EGO”)

OVERVIEW – Fall from Higher Essence Qualities to Ego Distortions
Oscar Ichazo made a connection between the 10 spheres of Kabbala’s Tree of Life, & the Enneagram symbol. The Tree’s first sphere, Keter, is reserved for the Messiah, leaving 9 others for humans, suggesting 9 kinds of souls as emanations or facets of the Divine Unity.  (MORE...)
● While everyone has the capacity to embody all of the Holy Ideas and Virtues, one pair of them is central to the soul’s identity, so their loss is felt acutely, & the person’s ego (conscious False Self) become totally preoccupied with recreating it, although in futile, self-defeating ways

● Based part on this, Ichazo created a hierarchy of expressions:
9 HOLY IDEAS (Part 1) the objective, experiential understanding of higher Truth. Their loss or absence generates specific delusions /fixations, the underlying Toxic Rules of our ego-driven lives. Each delusion forms the center of a psychological complex, which the core of that particular fixation.

VIRTUES
Based on the Holy Ideas, the Virtues are the natural expression of the awakened heart – the unified, expansive qualities humans experience when we are abiding in Essence, our True Self. AND they can not be ‘practiced’ or claimed as personal achievements. While our ego-self is most preoccupied with recreating it, doing so would only be a narcissistic self-aggrandizement for the ego – the very opposite of a Virtuous state.
They are each type’s antidote to its Passion – pointing to our STRENGTHS – so as we “Let-go-&-let-God”, accepting what is already waiting in us to emerge, our specific Virtue begins to express itself in our daily life. They are not simply ‘their own reward’ but expressions of Grace & a method of transformation*.

*Transformation can be understood as a conversion of energy: shifting from the narrowness & futility of our Vice to our Virtue. It is not easy to do, since out Type is hardwired & a life-time of doing things a certain way are hard to soften & dissolve. Shifting this energy takes time, along with great desire & determination, persistent effort & a willingness to look deep inside ourselves. Repetition of new habits & patterns create new neural pathways that, over time, allow us to catch our automatic responses before they get going. This makes it possible to choose a new way of responding to PPT (people-places-things).

EGO-FIXATIONS
As a person loses Awareness & Presence of the Holy Idea, we fall away from Essence into the trance of the outer personality – an ego delusion about self or reality. But once the True Nature is restored  we can see through the particular delusions of our type. Again, our underlying Truth is antidote to the ego-fixation when we want to restore the balance & freedom of our personal Holy Idea

PASSIONS

They represent the underlying characteristic emotional response (Basic Fear column) to reality which was created by the loss of contact with our Essential nature – the Virtue. The underlying hurt, shame & grief this loss entails are enormous, so our ego (defended Self) is compelled to come up with its particular way of emotionally coping with the loss, altho misguided & ineffective.
— It can also be thought of as our untamed animal nature before it’s transformed by contact from higher influences—an awareness and Grace. Together with the ego-fixation, these represent the ways that spiritual qualities become contracted into ego states

INSTINCTS
Our Instinctual Self is a primal aspect of personality, & our dominant one insures our fundamental survival in the physical world, but in so doing can block the way to growth. The Enneagram’s 3 instincts are an anchoring counter balance to the higher spiritual Essential Self, rooting us in the dualistic (good-bad) defended self, which ‘forces’ us to distort & habitually overuse our survival strategies.
● They are considered the way we forget our connection to the Divine. Losing our Essence-center distorts our Thinking, Feeling & Doing (TEA). Spiritual / emotional growth comes from being able to balance, release & transform our instinctual nature into its higher opposite.

NOTE that the strengths and weaknesses of each type are two sides of the one coin. There is NO point in wanting to change to another type, since that would just mean swapping one set of problems for another.

NEXT: Type VIRTUES (Part 4a)

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 2)

dmtorbi 12-step, ACoAs, al-anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, mental health, Psychotherapy, recovery, self growth, self-help , , , ,

ennea strenghI CAN REST EASY
in the castle of my identity

PREVIOUS: Type STRENGTHS (Part 1)

SITE: Buy Profiles of 9 types (BIZ)

BOOK: The VISUAL Enneagram (pictures)

REMINDER: In this context – EGO = FALSE SELF
NOT the same as a HEALTHY EGO, and read “EGO”)

To appreciate the POSITIVES of our Type, it helps to put the work of the Enneagram in context.
Chasing ‘healthiness’ is not the main goal of the Enneagram – but rather to become aware of our unique Role in the larger scheme of life, & experience how it plays out in every-day experience. Our fixation behavior – the acting out of the Defect – is Ego trying to hang on to its particular corner of Reality.
EXP: #5: “I must fill the unfillable hole of not-knowing”.enn HIGHER OCTAVE

● Yet our unconscious pull toward Essence, with its way of higher thinking & feeling, suggests that each Number represents an archetypal energy pattern, a Higher Octave, self-aware of the deeper characteristics of Reality. This awareness can increase self-knowledge & a deeper connection to Spirit. (Enn in Motion)

● When our focus is on being less & less attached to our usual (defensive) way of functioning, it naturally results in healing the split between parts of ourselves, between ourselves & others, & between us & our Higher Power. Transpersonal* experiences allow us to see ourselves as we are meant to be – in our current state, but moving toward being whole.
*Transpersonal means growing beyond narrow or personal needs, from “experiences in which the sense of self-identity extends beyond (trans) the individual, to encompass wider aspects of humankind, life, psyche or cosmos”. (Shakti – 10/16/05)

● The combination of the 9 Types make up a total Microcosm of the human viewpoint. The movement toward Presence (the ‘work’ is to become awake to a Higher Truth) starts at the Mechanical / Automatic way of functioning on the right side – thru #1-the way of the body, #2-the way of love & #4-the way of power, which need to be learned before moving up the left side. Growth proceeds around the Inner Points via the ‘spiritual’ octave Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do, toward full Essence /Consciousness (#9), as taught by Gurdjieff.

being/grace/mercy● The universal principles – Being, Grace, Mercy – also used in Enneagram study,  are divine forces which drive the engine of the universe & function according to spiritual laws in every octave, regardless of ones ‘developmental level’. Cosmic consciousness diversifies naturally into personality types (1-9) according to these principles, as:     Materiality, Desire, Conscious Labor, Power, Being, Intentional Suffering, Purification, Knowing, Essence.  (MORE…)

● As energy circulates around any octave, it is expressed by specific characteristics, depending on its proximity to the Divine. Each octave is a circulatory system with a set enn affirm deny reconciieof specific demands placed on it. These give some basic insight into the nature of Holy Affirming, Holy Denying & Holy Reconciling forces.
PINK = closest to the divine, (“do”, the absolute) are material expressions on the  right & wisdom, on the left.
GREEN = represents the heart, the mediating zone between the most holy at the top – and –
BLUE = manifestations of intelligence and awareness, being furthest from the divine, at bottom. (MORE….)

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NEXT: Type Strengths (Part 3)

Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 1)

dmtorbi 12-step, ACoAs, al-anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, coaching, mental health, Problem-Solving, Psychotherapy, recovery, self growth, self-help

ennea jewels IT’S GOOD TO ACKNOWLEDGE
my special strengths & talents!

PREVIOUS: Type Weaknesses (Part 3c)

SITE:  Enneagram Types & Tips for Happiness (iTunes) Jackie Wells Smith

 

CORE qualities = our GIFT
● The flip side of each Type’s ‘defect’ is the characteristic which allows us to self-actualize – our Virtue / Strength. These exist in immature form when we’re born, & are supposed to mature over the course of a lifetime (like an acorn), but can only do so IF planted in good soil – ie. a safe, loving family.
> If Nurtured, the Strength will allow us to grow into something grand

> If Hindered – it will be used incorrectly, to everyone’s detriment.
We know that a damaging childhood environment stunts the healthy development of our specific core quality – so it doesn’t turn into a mighty oak – which is what happens to most ACoAs – before Recovery. SO an essential part of our process is to find healthy people-places-things (PPT) that help us undo the damage & allow our precious acorn to RE-grow correctly. “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood” – NOW.

● The reverse of the “defects” are the 7 Heavenly Virtues:heavenly virtues.png
Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence, Temperance + 2

The coordinating Enn. Strengths are:  (#1 – #9) : Serenity, Humility, Truthfulness, Equanimity, Detachment, Courage, Sobriety, Innocence, Action
— These positive qualities can also be used as PROCESS, starting at #9, which represents “The Whole” – for planning a trip, making a meal, running a company, pursuing our Recovery…

● To find our Type, we start with the exaggerated expression of the self – the defect – & trace it back to its original state. Our harmful ‘Habits of Mind’ (CDs) come from over-using /mis-using the Strengths, which are our most natural positive tendency – what we’re best at & our fundamental way of approaching the world. Therefore, the positive quality hidden in the flaw is our GIFT, with both the characteristics of Divinity & of human personality, which we bring into the world to share with others.
EXP: 2s love to help people, but damage turns it into co-dependence.
Healthy 1s like things to be done right, but damage turns it into judgmental perfectionism. Healthy 5s love to be quiet & study, but damage turns it into isolation or being pedantic (a know-it-all) …..

VALUES
● In “Types of Men” (1928), Eduard Spranger wrote that people are best understood through the study of their values. In the 1960’s Gordon Allport, father of Personality Psychology, agreed that perValues vs Vulnerabilitysonal values are the basis of our philosophy of life.
OUR:
Vulnerabilities come from what caused our essence to be distorted
Values come from what each Type finds most important & deeply wants

● Another way of saying all this is: At the heart of each person’s adaptation to the world are inborn aptitudes & abilities, present as potentialities in our core self. These energizing talents form our values, which we hold dear, influencing our motivations & perspectives on life. They orient & focus our vision – identifying what’s important to us, what to organize our life around, what to live for. While we can appreciate & express something of all the 9 qualities, temperamentally we favor a specific one which guides our attitudes, behaviors, emotions, energies & perceptions – expressions of our Essence.

a. From a spiritual point of view, we are told that human being were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), ie. God’s character & attributes reflected in us, such as compassion, rationality, love, hatred, anger, mercy…..
b. From a psychological view, human nature shows up in differing points of view & their accompanying ways of experiencing, evaluating, perceiving, understanding & responding to the world.

The “Primal Catastrophe”
Unfortunately most people lose touch with our specific Essence early in life. The Defect of our type is formed in response to the primal catastrophe of our childhood – the loss of connection to the Divine. In Christian terms, we’re born separated from God by our sin-nature, forgetting our birthright as children of God. In reaction, humans develop 9 different (ineffective) strategies to try reconnecting with Spirit & our deepest self.
holy ideas
● The Virtues/ Strengths identify the way to reconnect to Essence, out-growths of the spiritual insights called Holy Ideas (Holy = objective spiritual reality, expressed in the higher, essential qualities of the human mind). Since our Type’s Ego Desire is a mix of divine yearning & ego questing – in spite of the distortions – ‘personality’ has a sacred impulse at its core.

Ego vs. Essence ?
Essence = Our True Self, originating at birth. It’s different for each Type, & depends on the basic flavor of True Nature which each Number is most sensitive to, based on one’s Holy Idea. When we’re in touch with it, we feel an all-encompassing sense of aliveness, connection & well-being.

Ego: Not the Healthy Self from Psychology, but rather our False Self, the
‘personality’ with all its illusions, defenses & hidden features, which is only a reflection or imitation of our individual True Reality.
— It’s not accurate to think in B & W terms: ‘negative’ ego/ personality being an extreme opposite of ‘positive’ Essence, because humans are on an ego/Essence continuum all the time. Being aware of, understanding & working with both aspects are needed for our growth.
A.F. Almaas reminds us in his book Diamond Heart Book Four: Indestructible Innocence: “The personality is not something that needs to die or be thrown away…. but rather to be developed over time, to be refined & integrated with the sense of Being-ness” (p. 69).

NEXT: Enneagram – Type STRENGTHS (Part 2)

DEFENSE MECHANISMS (Part 2)

dmtorbi 12-step, ACoAs, al-anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, mental health, Psychotherapy, recovery, self growth, self-help

no see, no hear, no talk
I HAVE SO MANY OPTIONS 
for escape!

PREVIOUS: Defense Mechanisms (#1)

SITE: “Types & Uses of Defense Mechanisms”

 

ALL DEFENSES are used to avoid some form of anxiety
Acting out – coping with stress by taking actions, instead of actually feeling one’s emotions about the situation
Affiliation – compulsively turning to others for support, instead of being in charge of their life

Aim Inhibition – settling for a modified version of their original goal (as in “Those who can’t – teach”)
Altruism – gaining satisfaction by self-sacrificing service to others, or participating in beneficial social causes

Asceticism – the moral renunciation of certain pEnneagramleasures, to avoid the internal conflict associated with impulse-gratification
Avoidance – refusing to deal with or face an unpleasant person, object or situation

Compensation – trying to make up for what one sees as personal deficiencies
Conversion – a repressed mental conflict turned into a physical symptom

Denial – unconscious need to refuse acknowledging important parts of oneself, of ones own experiences or of external reality, even though these things may actually be known or perceived
Displacement – shifting emotions or mental conflicts about one person or situation onto another. It’s ‘dumping onto’ one person what one feels towards someone else (kicking the dog instead of the boss)

Fantasy – a retreat into a dream world, mental drifting back to ‘better times’ or to an ideal place…. when concrete, adult action is needed OR when the current situation is experienced as completely hopeless
Idealization – making up a fantasy image of PPT (people, places, things), rather than seeming them realistically,
to deny aggressive or competitive feelings towards someone they love or are afraid of  (Enneagram defenses ↗️ )

Identification: model oneself on another’s persona, in place of developing a ‘Self’ of their own
Intellectualization – warding off unacceptable emotions & desires by only thinking about PPT rather than experiencing them directly

Introjection – imprint onto oneself another’s whole personality, (psychologically absorbing another person into the developing Self) to avoid directly expressing powerful emotions such as love, rage, hate, envy….
Isolation (not isolating) – cutting off from memory painful emotions caused by a distressing situation or trauma, so no longer trigger anxiety

Projection – attributing to others ones own unacceptable but unconscious thoughts & emotions. Disowning unwanted parts of oneself by only seeing them in others, & then hating that person or quality
Rationalization – use convincing ‘logical’ reasons to justify an idea, emotion or action, to avoid recognizing the real but unacceptable underlying motive for ones bad behavior (like getting defensive)

Reaction formation – compulsively saying & doing the extreme opposite of what one really wants, but is afraid of (violently preaching against lust, while not admitting to being filled with sexual longing)  (CHART INFO ⬇️ )
Regression – unconsciously retreating to the actions, feelings & beliefs of an earlier developmental phase when feeling threatened (tantrums)
Repression – keeping unwanted thoughts & emotions out of awareness, which can include forgetting actual painful or traumatic events, or those associated with painful emotions

Reversal – turning a feeling, attitude or behavior into its opposite
EXP: when masochism is replaced by sadism, love into hate….
Simple denial: unpleasant things are treated as if they don’t exist

Splitting – characteristic of borderlines, it’s the inability to hold in ones conscious mind both positive & negative qualities of the Self or others in a realistic whole (like loving & hating the same person or thing)
Somatization – when intolerable impulses or conflicts are converted into physical symptoms (suppresses rage into an auto-immune disease)

Sublimation – redirect id impulses (a socially objectionable desire or goal) into socially acceptable activities, while still retaining the original goal of the impulse. It’s considered the most “mature” defense. (Play football instead of fighting, make art instead of adultery)
Suppression – painful emotions & events are consciously ‘stuffed’ down.
Undoing – involves symbolically nullifying or voiding an unacceptable or guilt-provoking act, thought, or feeling

NEXT: Enneagram Strengths #1