MOVING THROUGH THE ENNEAGRAM: FACING OUR SHADOWS

MOVING THROUGH THE ENNEAGRAM:
FACING OUR SHADOWS
Sandy Brim, Ph.D., John Sandoval and Anne Hall

In the last presentation we became aware of who we are in our essence. In this presentation we will be observing our point of stress, or where we begin to loose integration and how this can help us look at some of our shadows as they show up via the direction provided by the “arrow of stress”. This will be more of a group process but be sure you know your type before the SDI meeting. I believe that this process is an integral part of our growing up. We have already laughed at our types and hopefully accepted this model as self-revealing. At some point then, we no longer need this tool. But first we can use it to help us see the dark side of our gifts if we are willing to do the work.

Richard Rohr wrote the book on the second half of life. It is not meaningful to use this tool of the Enneagram gifts and passions (sins) while we are still are building our egos that define our self-images. At some point, it becomes increasingly clear that this does not work as we mature. We are open to finding the freedom to be anything other than this role and image. Rohr says, “our gift and our sin are two sides of the same coin. To meet your gift, you must, so to speak, chew, eat, and digest your sin… and ultimately be humiliated by it.” “Our darkness can become our greatest gift…if we see our enemies as our best friends.” (some of this is paraphrased)

So my idea is to use the arrows that we turn to as a false consolation when we are stressed. I want to engage the group in helping each other begin to see this process. For example, at the last meeting, I had two very strong physical reactions to the comments reflecting the 2. This is my stress point as a 4.

Rohr’s co-writer Ebert quotes Helen Palmer and warns “against proceeding in such a way that we pounce on our point of consolation and repress our stress point.” He continues giving an example using himself as a type 2. He writes: “It can happen that as a 2 I identify with the positive energy of the 4 and try to become a kind of 4. But in so doing, I take on the negative aspects of the 4 as well, becoming melancholy, narcissistic, and hypersensitive. Suddenly I think that, through my healing point 4, I as a 2 should have the right to be “something special.” In this way I nourish my root sin, pride. Conversely, when I avoid 8, then its destructive energy can work unhindered in my unconscious and someday break through violently. Moreover, the energy, clarity, and determination of the mature 8’s are just the gift the soft 2’s need…The intention behind moving toward stress is to skillfully raise our passions to the overflow point and to release the compulsion of a negative habit by experiencing it fully and completely.”

I have never heard this point before and only Ebert has made this point as far as I know. I propose we all be willing to do this process with each other. It can get complex, but this is what I propose:

Only 3, 6 and 9 are on a triangle but they would be a logical group. The rest will need to move to their stress point physically while the others watch. So 5 moves to 7 while 4 moves to 2. Then 7 moves to 1 while 2 moves to 8. Then 1 moves to 4 and 8 moves to 5. At this point of stress pointed to by the arrows, we need to do some type of encounter.