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Essential Wholeness offers here a unique perspective on the Enneagram. I present the Enneagram symbol as a model of the underlying patterns that connect our knowledge of psychology, biology, physics, mythology and spirituality. Unlike other books that show the Enneagram in a static two-dimensional way, this book will broaden your perspective into an expanding multidimensional model, much like a three-dimensional spiral. Spiral Dynamics describe the levels of consciousness, and the Enneagram Developmental Cycle shows us the smaller steps needed to move up through the phases.
There are nine phases of the Enneagram Developmental Cycle. Here, they start at phase NINE and finish at a higher-level phase NINE:
NINE—The system organizes itself at the edge of chaos with self-maintaining feedback loops (homeostasis). It regulates predictability and equilibrium by the consolidation of emergent relationship patterns into a more robust system, which in turn will effect adjustments in larger systems to which it belongs. Primary Concern—How to maintain stability?
ONE—There is a growing awareness in the system of the limitations of relating to life within the parameters defined by the existing structure, which initiates the destabilization of the homeostatic functioning. Primary concern—What’s the problem? What’s the ideal?
TWO—The system attempts to adapt to the increased demands of the emergent properties of self within the parameters of the existing structure by relating to the environment more effectively. This leads to an amplification of self-reinforcing feedback loops. Primary concern —How to adapt to problems?
THREE—By moving toward peak fitness, the system (attempting to reestablish homeostasis) reaches the limits of its existing structure. At the boundary of its current range of functioning, the system’s efforts spill over into a higher dimension of opportunity. Primary concern—How to promote success within the status quo?
FOUR—The inadequacies of the system become more apparent as boundaries begin breaking down, opening the system to untapped creative potentials. Primary concern—What are the inadequacies?
FIVE—Boundaries become more diffuse, allowing a greater flow of information into the system. A sorting of what is vitally essential for survival is initiated. Primary concern—Why is this happening?
SIX—The system maintains its integrity around essential structures or patterns, while others disintegrate and may be eliminated. Balance shifts away from the previous level of organization towards chaos. Primary concern—What to hold onto and what to let go of?
SEVEN—At the boundary of order and chaos the system seeks out new couplings and internal patterns of organization. Exploring various ways of relating to changes in the environment creates possibilities to be discovered and experimented with. Primary concern—What’s next? How to approach things differently?
EIGHT—Certain new couplings are selected, organized and integrated with existing essential structures into a more complex and robust order and a new sense of self. Primary concern—How to gain control?
NINE—The system organizes itself at this new level with self-maintaining feedback loops (homeostasis). It regulates predictability and equilibrium by consolidating emergent relationship patterns into a more robust system. This in turn will effect adjustments in the larger system to which it belongs. Primary concern—How to regain stability?
Effective psychotherapy and/or spiritual practices help us move though these phases. People will usually come to psychotherapy because they are stuck in a vicious cycles revolving generally around one phase. Often it is the phase of their Enneagram Personality type, because they are doing too much of what they are good at and overly identified with.
Don Riso and Richard Hudson define nine stages of psychological health for each of the Enneagram personality types, which range from personality disorders at the bottom to self-realization at the top. Each of the nine personality types tend to manifest different ways of functioning at the different levels. Even if people are generally evolving in their lives they will, at times, temporarily devolve or regress to lower levels of functioning. Regressions and progressions may occur at different rates in different contexts of one’s life. Ken Wilber speaks of this in his integral psychology where a person may be highly evolved for example as an artist, but not able to maintain intimate relationships at all; or someone is highly evolved professionally, but struggles in family life. Riso and Hudson’s levels from unhealthiest to healthiest are: Pathological Destructiveness, Obsession and Compulsion, Violation, Overcompensation, Interpersonal Control, Imbalance/ Social Role, Social Value, Psychological Capacity and Liberation.[i]
[i] Introduction to the Enneagram, Copyright: The Enneagram Institute 1998-2013. http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/intro.asp#levels
For a complete description and practical psychotherapeutic applications read: Essential Wholeness, Integral Psychotherapy, Spiritual Awakening and the Enneagram.
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