Where did the Enneagram come from?

Any time something gets popular, there’s a tendency for all kinds of half-truths, myths and incorrect information to get attached to it. That’s certainly the case with the Enneagram. Don’t get me wrong; I’m stoked that many more people know about it now that when I stumbled upon it 20+ years ago. However, in that time, I’ve seen and heard a lot about its origins, how old it is and what it entails that simply aren’t true.

So, I’m going to provide information on where the Enneagram came from.

Origins of the Enneagram

Let’s talk about the Enneagram symbol first. Its origins are quite fuzzy, but it’s been around a long time. It can be traced back at least as far as the time of classical Greece. We know that because in The Odyssey, Odysseus encountered nine obstacles that map exactly to the nine points of the Enneagram. It was written in the eighth century BC. There is evidence to suggest that the Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BC), knew of it, too.

The first Enneagram-like symbol in the Western world was published in about 1305 by a Christian scholar named Raymond Lull. Each of his symbol’s nine points represented one of the nine “dignities of God.” In1655, Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit scholar, used an Enneagram on the cover of his book, Arithmologia.

Then the symbol basically dropped out of sight. Fast-forward a couple centuries to an enigmatic man named George Gurdjieff who brought the symbol to the Western world in the early 1900s. It is said that he discovered the symbol while traveling in the Near East. However, he didn’t use it in the way we’re talking about it today. He taught the symbol primarily through a series of sacred dances or movements. He did not teach the system of personality types associated with the symbol that we know about today.

Before we talk about who DID do that, there’s some other information about the Enneagram’s underlying concepts that is useful to know.

The Enneagram’s ancient roots

Plato put forth the idea of nine divine forms. This idea was further developed in the third century AD by the philosophers, particularly Plotinus. He wrote 54 treatises on human nature in groups of nine, called The Enneads. (“Ennea” is the Greek word for “nine.”)

A fourth-century monk named Evagrius, while praying in the desert, noticed and described eight or nine patterns of cognitive or emotional resistance “that assail the mind during practice.” These formed the basis for what would become the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s fascinating to me that the wonderfully kooky Hieronymus Bosch painted The Seven Deadly Sins as a circle reminiscent of the Enneagram symbol.

In the Jewish mystical tradition of the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life is stunningly similar to the Enneagram symbol in both shape and content. Incidentally, in Christianity, there are nine Beatitudes and nine fruits of the spirit. In Egyptian mythology, there are nine primary gods. So, some idea of nature, including God’s nature and human nature, breaking out into nine parts has shown up at different times and places all throughout history. That suggests to me that there’s something to it.

It wasn’t until the 20^th century, though, that this concept and the Enneagram symbol met, thanks to a man named Oscar Ichazo. He was a man on a search for truth. He traveled and read widely, so at some point he came across the Enneagram symbol. He began to develop the Enneagram of personality in the 1950s. In developing his theories, he drew upon Plato’s nine forms idea. Ichazo correlated the symbol to the Greek Enneads and the idea behind the seven deadly sins to map human behavior to the symbol in what we now call the Enneagram of Personality.

Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean personality psychiatrist, learned the Enneagram of Personality from Ichazo and then brought it to the U.S. in the 1970s. He first taught it to a group of Jesuits – one of whom was Don Richard Riso, who dedicated the rest of his life to understanding and fleshing out this model of human motivation.

Naranjo’s students went on to more clearly define the nine personality types. Pioneers in this field include, along with Riso, Russ Hudson, Helen Palmer, David Daniels and others. They wrote books, taught classes and founded organizations to help people understand this stunningly accurate model.

The Enneagram continues to evolve

The Enneagram is a living system. Its foundational tenets remain true, but people continue to explore its implications and continue to expand the boundaries of our knowledge about what makes humans do what they do. Some people map this system to the brain’s functions and neural pathways. Others work to create scientifically validated tests so people can find their type (though it’s not necessary to take a test, it can be helpful). Others compare and contrast the Enneagram with other personality models.

People apply it to relationships, parenting, business interactions and more. I also apply it to spiritual formation, which Russ Hudson, co-founder of The Enneagram Institute, says is the reason this system exists.

So, the Enneagram is not thousands of years old – but many of its underlying ideas are. The Enneagram of Personality has been around for about 70 years, combining ancient wisdom with modern psychology. It’s eerily accurate about the motivations and fears that drive us, and it can transform your life if you’re willing to put its tenets into practice.

If you’re looking for a book that will give you a solid foundation, I recommend The Wisdom of the Enneagram. If you already know a bit about this model and are looking for more insight on spiritual transformation, check out my first book, Becoming Your True You: God, the Enneagram and Your Unique Purpose.

Note: these are affiliate links, which help me pay for things like web hosting and all the back-end business costs of running a business. Your support is appreciated but not required.

PLEASE SHARE