In my 15 years of studying and teaching the Enneagram, I’ve encountered many different kinds of questions and concerns about the Enneagram.
It certainly has recently come into more trendy awareness in younger people (Millennials and Gen Z’ers) over the past few years. Ian Crohn’s book, The Road Back to You, published in 2016 by a Christian publishing house seemed to have a lot to do with that trend beginning. It has been a very popular book in Christian circles. However, before 2016, very few people I had encountered had ever heard of it, except for a select few college professors and therapists I had encountered. But nowadays all you have to do here in the Wheaton and Glen Ellyn neighborhoods is to sit at a coffee shop or bar and you’ll overhear some overzealous co-ed enthusing to their friends: “Hey, do you know your type? Oh, you’re SUCH a TWO!” And if you’re over-hearing it, you may wonder what on earth they’re talking about. Here are some frequently asked questions that might be useful if you’re curious about what the fuss is all about.
Q: Why should I care about the Enneagram? What is it exactly?
“…if you’re curious about personality, about your development of how you’ve changed over the years…”
A: Well, you certainly don’t NEED to care about it. (Yes, really. The Enneagram isn’t for everyone). However, if you’re curious about personality, about your development of how you’ve changed over the years, then the Enneagram is a map of sorts that provides some compelling theories of how people’s personalities develop, cope, and grow over time.
Q: Why are so many people talking about it all of a sudden?
A: I have a few theories. The Enneagram in a more raw, spiritual discipline form has been around for centuries. And it was definitely around in the 60’s and 70’s, mostly in spiritual communities. But even then it didn’t have as much notoriety as it does now. My strongest theory is the boom of internet culture. The availability of information has never been more easy to access than now. The Enneagram is a powerful tool, as you may already understand. Another idea I’ve pondered is that younger people (40yrs and under) are the primary people who use the internet for information gathering, and Millennials and Gen Z’er’s are currently in the developmental stage of SELF EXPLORATION. Your 20’s and 30’s are supposed to be where you ask the deep questions, and you notice the most change about yourself. Combine that fact with the availability of info about the Enneagram on the internet (it’s not only in monastery libraries or on the bookshelf in your professor’s office anymore!), and now we have a ****Trend****.
Q: Where did the Enneagram come from?
Dr. Claudio Naranjo
A: The answer to this one is complicated. The idea of there being a framework of 9 Types as a spiritual teaching symbol has been found in all three monotheistic religions (Judiasm, Islam and Christianity) throughout the past several centuries. However, the idea of “9 Types of Personality” in the lens of personality development and psychology is fairly new, only since the 1960’s, taught by a psychiatrist and Gestalt therapist Dr. Claudio Naranjo at Berkeley University. However, Naranjo didn’t learn it from a fellow psychiatrist or professor. He was a student of Oscar Ichazo, a spiritual teacher from South America, who knew about the Enneagram from a spiritually developmental perspective. Naranjo did the amazing thing of combining the traditional roots of the spiritual roots of the Enneagram with theories of personality and ego-development. In the late 1960’s, Naranjo brought it to his grad students at Berkeley, many of whom became some of the first American Enneagram teachers. These grad students ended up writing some of the same books we use to teach the Enneagram today.
Q: Is it the just Christian zodiac?
A: Yes, absolutely. Next question?
Q: Seriously though: should Christians stay away from it? I’ve heard some churches don’t think it’s compatible with Christian beliefs.
Enneagram is not religious, but it is spiritual.
A: Okay. I am aware of some Catholic priests/dioceses that find it to be incompatible with their religious dogma for various reasons. But the Catholic monastic order of the Franciscans have been using the Enneagram for hundreds of years. I also am aware of a fairly prominent evangelical teacher who also found it to be problematic. However, many Christian pastors and leaders find it to be exciting and helpful for themselves and their flocks. And some find it unhelpful. Ask your pastor or ministry leader! Decide what you think is compatible with your faith or not.
Q: I’m not very religious. Is it a Christian thing only?
A: Nope. It’s not a Christian thing. It’s not really a religious thing either. It’s definitely a spiritual thing, however. There are no rituals to perform, no membership required, no deity to please. (Really.) It’s spiritual in the sense that learning more about the Enneagram does require deep introspection and increased mindfulness of our own behavior and motivation patterns. It is the most similar to a religion in that it has “teachings”, but that is where the similarities end, I believe. Of course, some people do treat the Enneagram like a religion, with required dogmas, rituals and allegiances, and have an enthusiasm and exclusivity about it that smacks of a cult, but more about that later. The Enneagram is not supposed to be a religion.
Q: Is that nine pointed object an occult symbol?
A: Nope. You’re thinking of a pentagram. The five-pointed star, associated with Wicca. The Enneagram has nine points.
Q: Is it a cult?
A: It’s easy for me to say “no, it’s not a cult” and leave it at that. But unfortunately, it’s just not that simple. Of course, Naranjo and the original teachers of the Enneagram did NOT intend for people to use the Enneagram as a sort of exclusive club membership that judges and condemns the ignorant and glorifies the powerful “all knowing” ones. But in this wonderful age of Enneagram capitalism, it is often peddled that way on social media. “Sign up for my class, or else you will never know yourself” “Why wouldn’t you want to know yourself more?” So, no, it’s not a cult. But I can see why you asked the question. It wouldn’t surprise me if you told me about an Enneagram cult that exists. But that is certainly not what it was intended to be used for.
Q: Is it a personality test?
“The Enneagram is a map of the ego, to an understanding of the self. ”
A: No. It is absolutely not a personality test. Yes, there is an abundant amount of Enneagram tests in the world. But the Enneagram itself is NOT a test. The Enneagram is a map of the ego, to an understanding of the self. A test is not the map. However, a good enneagram test (which can be hard to find!) can point you in the right direction! Good tests are hard to find, in my experience. Turns out it’s super hard to measure deep, embarrassingly true motives of people that they can answer accurately in a multiple choice format. If you find one, a good test can definitely get you started. But no, the Enneagram is not a personality test. I’ve heard it called a personality “inventory”, which is a little more specific, and likely more accurate.