![]() The BasicsĮxploring the definitions can seem quite complicated, and the outlines provided below really are very minimalistic. Loss in the areas of Higher Essence is what produces distortion in the lower, Ego areas.Īccording to Ichazo’s theory, there are nine main ways a person can lose their centre, or forget their connection with the Divine, and thus become distorted in thinking, feeling and doing. Holy Ideas and Virtues are considered Higher Essence Qualities, while Fixations and Passions are considered Ego Distortions. While Ichazo taught a system of 108 Enneagrams, just four are focused on in current interpretations: Enneagrams of Passions, Virtues, Fixations and Holy Ideas. Ichazo saw the Enneagram as a way of examining specifics about the structure of the human soul and particularly about the ways in which actual soul qualities of Essence become distorted, or contracted into states of ego. ![]() Ichazo drew from a number of recurrent themes in ancient traditions, and combined his knowledge with what he called the ‘Enneagon’ symbol, developing what is now known as Enneagram. ![]() The modern Enneagram of Personality Types is synthesis of a number of ancient wisdom traditions, brought together by Bolivian-born philosopher, Oscar Ichazo. Gurdjieff did not teach a system of types associated with the symbol, and he never taught anything about a system of understanding character related to the Enneagram symbol. He instructed advanced students in their ‘chief feature’, the lynch-pin of the individual’s ego structure, or the basic characteristic which defined them. Gerdjieff taught about the Enneagram symbol, using movement and dance, music and story-telling, employing Sufi traditions in his communications. While some considered Gurdjieff a master who brought Eastern enlightenment to the West, others considered him nothing more than a charlatan. While the symbol can be traced back as far as Pythagoras, it was reintroduced to the modern world by George Gurdjieff, who formed and closed various schools around the world which followed his teachings. The Enneagram symbol, a circle, an inner triangle and a hexagonal periodic figure, representing unity, the law of three, and the law of seven. Thus the philosophy behind the Enneagram contains components from mystical Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Buddhism, and ancient Greek philosophy. įrom Greece and Asia Minor, these ideas moved south through Syria and Egypt, where they were further developed. The idea was expanded in the third century AD by Neo-Platonic philosophers, Plotinus in particular. The idea of qualities of existence that are essential, that cannot be broken down into constituent parts, was discussed historically as far back as 400BC, by Greek philosopher and mathematician, Plato. While much of Enneagram’s development may be considered perhaps less ‘academic’ than some other temperament models, it has certainly found its way into mainstream use, and provides another interesting tool for those who relate to it. I trust you to use your own discernment as you investigate in this area. It has nine divisions, rather than the usual base of four, and addresses a number of additional factors in quite a unique manner.įor home educators, I consider the opportunity to investigate drives, fears, passions, etc., extremely relevant to how we interact with our children as students. Enneagram has still been included, because as a model for understanding temperament, it is quite unlike the other models discussed (and many others besides). What I didn’t realise until I began researching the article for this website, was that the roots of Enneagram can be perceived as somewhat controversial. The session was conducted by a Catholic Institution in Sydney, and seemed to me at the time (20+ years ago) to be entirely focused on helping individuals understand themselves and others better – the only religious content was what was relevant to the Enneagram model.
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