“That which is back of everything must be good, must be complete, must be love and harmony. When we are out of harmony with some special good, it is because we are off the track along that particular line of the activity of Spirit. But how are we to regain the lost Paradise? Only through soul culture and careful self-analysis….A change of consciousness does not come by simply willing or wishing….but a gradual unfoldment of the inner self.” (Science of Mind page 446)

We are driven to learn more about ourselves, especially how we’re special. On social media there are quizzes to reveal a number of aspects of our personality – for example, which fairy princess am I? or which of the 7 Dwarfs best describes me? Of course these are silly.

More than entertainment value, self-awareness is an avenue to spiritual growth. According to Yung Pueblo, “the cultivation of self-awareness is critical not only for those seeking a fulfilling life, but also for anyone who understands the value of appreciating the perspective of another…Self-awareness opens the door to compassion.” Some people develop self-awareness through journaling, others through meditation, and some by paying attention to their emotions when they feel upset or threatened.

Numerous personality tests have appeared over time, the most familiar being the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The test helps people assess their personality using four specific dichotomies, or scales: introversion-extraversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving. Yet what use can we make of this knowledge?

The Enneagram has been introduced as a precise, powerful tool for spiritual growth. Richard Rohr writes, “With the Enneagram, the question is: Why in our encounter with life do we human beings keep running up against ourselves, instead of making a breakthrough to God? …In the Enneagram, God is calling us all to let go of our false self because we don’t need it anymore.” (Richard Rohr, Discovering the Enneagram, pages 10 and 13)

The Enneagram is not an ego-enhancing tool; it calls us to be unsparingly honest with ourselves and to better discern when we are hearing only our own inner voices and impressions and possibly reacting from our prejudices. We must ask whether we can be open to new ways of seeing the world. Of course, personal attitudes were developed as a means of protection in our childhood. We may learn that we are doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

The spiritual growth occurs as we discern where we are off track; recognize the origin and use of the specific thoughts and behaviors; make a judgment as to whether these characteristics lead constructively to our relationship to Spirit or destructively leads away from it; and to decide whether to accept or reject the knowledge revealed and to utilize the wisdom in our lives. This means the Enneagram can show us where change may be beneficial. Of course, we have self-determination and can choose our actions.

Our new class on Enneagrams begins April 21 and runs for 11 weeks.

–Linda Bullock