The Nine Enneagram Types

What is the Enneagram

Translated, Enneagram means “nine-sided drawing” (Ennea=9, gram=drawing). 

The Enneagram is a psychospiritual system which espouses nine basic personality types. As a trialectic system everything within the system can be broken down into threes, or triads. The system functions on the mathematic principles of the Law of Three and the Law of Seven.

 There are three centers of intelligence which relate to the way the types process the world: The head types (5,6,7), the heart types (2,3,4) and the gut types (8,9,1). There are three instinctual types which relate to the primal or primitive survival mechanisms that, when activated, trigger the defenses of the Enneagram types: the Social instinct, the Self Preservation instinct and the Sexual/Intimate instinct. The Enneagram is a dynamic system where various points on the Enneagram intersect and interact with other points on the Enneagram adding color, flavor and complexity to each type.

Each center of intelligence has a particular flavor, focus or habit of attention and energetic and psychological imprint that is consistent throughout each type in the center. Ichazo heavily emphasized the importance of the centers as a way to understand the human beings’ movement through the world.

Centers of Intelligence 

 The Gut Types-8,9,1 (also referred to as the Instinctive Types) are focused on maintaining autonomy, power and deal with issues around anger and rage. They navigate the world primarily through their visceral, instinctive reactions and can find it difficult to adapt or adjust their presentation to what others want from them. Energetically they feel grounded, rooted and difficult to move. The Gut Center also energetically mimics the Self Preservation instinct.

The Heart Types-2,3,4 (also referred to as the Image Types) are focused on maintaining relationships with others through manipulation of their image and deal with issues of shame. They navigate the world primarily through their emotions and how they feel about themselves in relationship to how others feel about them. They can find it difficult to balance how to be truly authentic while still presenting a favorable image to those in their spheres. Energetically they feel fluid, adaptive and engaging. The Heart Center also energetically mimics the Sexual/Intimate Instinct.

The Head Types-5,6,7 (also referred to as the Mental Types) are focused on gaining trustworthy information in order to navigate an uncertain and changing world. They want to have the “know-how” to survive in the world and navigate the world primarily through their mental postulations, projections, ideas and are seeking certainty in order to move forward. They can have difficulty with trust and anxiety and may struggle knowing how or who to trust, when to trust and to what degree information or others are trustworthy. Energetically they feel airy, excitable and evasive or cagey. The Head Center also energetically mimics the Social Instinct.