Enneagram Parts Work - New Teaching
“Man has no individuality. He has no single, big I. Man is divided into a multiplicity of small ‘I’s, and each separate small ‘I’ is able to call itself by the name of the Whole.”
– George Gurdjieff, In Search of the Miraculous
“In itself, the Enneagram is not a spiritual path. It is an exceptional tool and a tremendous help to us for any path that we might be on.”
- Don Riso and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram
“In time, we might learn that we are actually the totality of the Enneagram.”
– A.H. Almaas, The Keys to the Enneagram
Many spiritual teachings exist to help evolve the consciousness of humanity. Like currents in the vast ocean, streams of teaching may flow independently of one another. However, sometimes, two or more streams converge to create a new synthesis. The synthesis is not just the sum of its parts. It is a new creation, like an offspring of its parent-streams that has the genes of both, yet is uniquely itself. The new stream allows for potential ways of exploring consciousness to be actualized.
The teachings of the Enneagram are usually considered separately from modalities of parts work. They do not in principle have to be separate, although historically, their styles of evolving consciousness have been different. The Enneagram is grounded in spiritual traditions oriented toward transcending the ego, whereas parts work generally has the goal of healing the ego. But it’s possible to discover that all nine points on the Enneagram can be experienced as parts of self within one’s own consciousness. This is the discovery at the heart of Enneagram Parts Work.
The Core Method
From a parts work – or “parts” – perspective, our normal experience is being identified with one part of self or another. When we get angry at our partner, that’s a part of self getting angry. When we can’t find our car keys and get flustered looking for them, that’s a part that can’t remember and a part that’s getting flustered. When we take a walk, it’s a beautiful day, and we’re enjoying the sunshine, it’s a part that is experiencing the beauty and pleasure. In other words, from a parts perspective, our life is nothing but a stream of consciousness in which different parts arise and interface with life in ways that match their nature. Intellectual parts think, defiant parts rebel, caretaker parts offer to help — all playing different roles in the great theater of self.
Most of the time we are identified with 1-2 dominant protector personalities, who take up most of the airtime of our conscious experience, while other parts of us are placated, suppressed, or even banned to the shadows. The sense of self that we refer to by our first name, also known as “the ego” (without negative connotation), is not a singular thing. Rather, a parts work model helps us come to see that we have many sub-personalities, all calling themselves “I.” These different senses of self are all faces of our ego, which is more of a collective than an individual unit. On a given day, we may cycle through many of these selves, and have different experiences of “I,” depending upon which of our sub-personalities (parts) get activated that day.1
Parts work is effective because it brings conscious awareness to usually subconsciously-operating activities of our parts. We might have a part that gets angry at our partner, for instance, but 1) we don’t clearly see it as a part, we think it’s us; 2) we don’t know what this part is thinking and feeling underneath of the anger; 3) we don’t see this part’s perspective is conditioned by the past; 4) we don’t know what needs this part is trying to get met, or what wound it’s protecting. The list could go on. The point is, most of what’s going on with our parts is subconscious, until made conscious by shining a spotlight of awareness on it. That is exactly what parts work does — it brings consciousness, and love, to all of the inner parts.
In some versions of parts work, like IFS, parts are generally approached from the calm and compassionate Self, the spiritual center of one’s being. To relate to parts from Self is to relate to them from an unmerged – or, as they say in IFS, “unblended” – state, in which one can see, hear, and feel inner parts, but not be overtaken by them. From Self, one has great resources – clarity, calm, compassion, all of the “8 C’s” – which one can draw upon to facilitate healing and resolve for inner parts. The results, as many beneficiaries of IFS can tell you, are worth the effort.
There’s another way of doing it, notably taught by Teal Swan, where instead of staying unmerged from parts one consciously merges with them. This allows for something staying unmerged doesn’t: to experience a part from its own point of view. (This could also be called a “first person” perspective). Normally we are merged or identified with parts, but not consciously, so our parts run the show of our life. The approach of consciously merging allows for the experience of “what it’s like to be that part” to be felt and known directly. The philosopher Thomas Nagel famously said consciousness always has a what it is like quality; the consciousness of a bat is what it is like to be a bat. In this sense, consciously merging with parts is a process of realizing their experience of consciousness firsthand.
Enneagram Parts Work can operate either way — merged or unmerged from parts. It is very useful to relate to parts from an unmerged state, but it’s also useful to become them and feel them “from the inside out,” so to speak. We happened to discover Enneagram Parts Work (EPW) through experimenting with consciously merging. Teal Swan teaches a method for doing so by using the following statement: I allow myself to become the part of me that is ____. This statement can be used in conjunction with any of the Enneagram types. For example, “I allow myself to become the part of me that is Enneagram Type 4” would begin the experience of consciously merging with the Type 4 part of oneself. This act of becoming works well when we set the stage for it:
when there’s not a strong trigger that needs immediate attention;
when we are settled enough to stay inwardly focused;
when we are flexible enough to temporarily release identification with dominant protector parts;
when our inner system of parts is enrolled in/on board with the merging process and, consequently, has no resistance to going along with it.
Like all conscious practices, EPW also begins with intention, which orients consciousness in the direction of having the experience.
There’s a specific series of steps that can be followed to set the stage and begin the experience, so that one merges with the chosen Enneagram part. We then have the direct experience of being that part. We are no longer looking at the map, but are deeply immersed in the territory – the felt experience of our inner parts of self.
The Direct Experience
Normally, we unconsciously merge with our inner parts throughout the day, and relate to others who are merged (identified) with their parts. So, merging is not something extraordinary or abnormal. What is rare is doing it consciously, with the capacity to identify or dis-identify by choice. When we are unconsciously identified, it’s not by choice. We know this because most people, when asked, won’t tell you they are identified with parts or that there are inner parts, even when in that very moment they are speaking from a part. Their state of identification is unconscious. Consciously merging, in contrast, brings about the state of feeling what it’s like to be a part of self, but in the background there’s still awareness that this state of “conscious identification” was willingly entered into.
As we merge with an Enneagram part of self, what arises in consciousness are a specific energy, thoughts, perceptions, memories, emotions, values, orientation, and even physical sensations correlated with — or “belonging to” — that part of self.
In the merged state, all of these aspects are experienced in the center of oneself, in a very “close” way, with little to no distance or separation from them. By contrast, when we take the unmerged approach, we are present to the same phenomena — thoughts, emotions, sensations, etc. — but with some distance or separation from them.
As an example, in one EPW session, the participant merged with the part of her that is Enneagram type 8. Immediately after doing so, she described feeling “full of energy and bullish.” A few simple questions elicited that this part of self had an urge to break things and felt a kind of nonspecific anger. Merged with the 8 part, the participant explained how this part moves her to stand up for herself, speak her truth (even if it’s unpopular), take risks, and burn bridges with people if necessary.2 But the 8 part also expressed how it was kept in check, or restrained, by another part — the type 3 part — as the 8 wanted to do things the 3 didn’t agree with.3 To the 3, the 8 part could be too direct and forceful, like a cue ball violently colliding with others in a game of pool. The 3 energy placed more value on preserving connection and relationships, and had concerns about how others might see her if the 8 energy was let loose.
The primary two “container structures” for EPW are 1), a participant merges with an Enneagram part while a practitioner holds space; and 2), a participant brings up an Enneagram part while staying unmerged and holds space for themselves. If the former approach is taken, upon merging, there’s often an initial general impression of energy, which provides a unique window into the selected part’s experience. In the case of the type 8 part, it was the bullish energy. After that, the experience can unfold on different levels:
Insight– There’s always relevant information parts have to share, which can be elicited from our parts through questions, frequently leading to new insight.
Harmony – Inner harmony can be achieved by holding space for inner conflicts and mediating them.
Healing – Healing is available through turning towards parts’ pain and struggles, and offering them what’s needed — things like love, understanding, and nourishment.
Embodiment – Finally, our Enneagram parts can help us excel and vastly improve our life by telling us practices that would either meet their needs, or be a way of embodying their unique energy. In this way, EPW is not confined to sessions that are split off from our daily life. Rather, EPW can be seamlessly integrated into how we live, so our life becomes an expression of all our parts, not just the parts we have strong tendencies to identify with.
There are many different ways of engaging with Enneagram parts, reflecting the fluidity and malleability of consciousness itself. The different levels outlined here both overlap and mutually reinforce each other. Gaining insight supports healing, ending inner conflict supports embodiment, and so on. In the next section, we will go over some examples of each level, so that they become more tangible and real.
Insight: Head Center Level of EPW
Insight arises by bringing awareness to our parts in a way where we discover the thoughts, feelings, desires and needs we didn’t know we had, belonging to specific Enneagram parts of us. This gives us the sense that whole areas of our psyche that were in the dark are now lit-up, illuminated by our conscious awareness. Our inner parts are also keepers of wisdom beyond the horizon of our conscious mind. They often have the answers we tend to look for outside of ourselves.
The following three examples display moments of insight that occurred in the course of EPW sessions.
In one session, the participant merged with the Enneagram type 9 part of herself. She initially described feeling very present in her body, heavy, and warm. In the same vein, she mentioned not wanting to move and stay in a comfortable space. As the session progressed, the type 9 part expressed how things go out of balance in her life when the type 9 part is forgotten and the pace of life becomes too fast. This part of self valued moving slowly and feeling present in a slower, more grounded movement, without a need to rush. The participant discovered that her type 9 part of self has a need for slowness and quiet, and that by consciously meeting this part’s need, she could bring balance and harmony to her life.4
In another EPW session, a participant merged with her Enneagram type 1 part of herself. The participant described the initial feeling as one of stiffening and a need to sit up straight. The type 1 part of self had a sense of carrying a lot of weight and described itself as a rule follower and hard worker. As the session progressed, there was a clear sense of firmness or strength in connection to the type 1 part’s principles. In particular, the principle of responsibility – a sense of doing what is right or moral – was seen as especially important by this part of self. This part would also tend to feel annoyed at seeing others not carrying their weight, and feel defeated around not being able to do anything about it. In the unmerged state, the participant held compassionate space for the type 1 part, which led to this part feeling like it didn’t have to be the parent and could express its repressed desire to play. The participant got significant insight into how her type 1 part operates, and that it’s possible, through consciously relating to it, for this part to relax and let go.
A participant in another session chose to merge with the type 3 part of himself. In the merged state, initially he felt happy, specifically happy about the abundance of connection in his life. As the session progressed, the 3 part expressed how the participant had big goals and the desire to make a big, positive impact, but stopped his movement in that direction through doubting, questioning, and overthinking. The 3 aspect of self desired to be unrestrained in running toward those goals – let off the leash – and suggested not “going into” thoughts as much, in favor of taking more action. When asked what it needed to bring forth its gifts, the 3 part’s answer was structure: to make the path to the goal clear, and to focus the participant’s energy in a specific area (rather than scattered in cerebral, disembodied states).5 In this process, not only did the participant see himself newly, through the lens of his 3 aspect. He also got new insight into the obstacles he was facing, and a practical way to support himself — by providing his type 3 part with the structure it needs to thrive.
Healing: First Heart Center Level of EPW
Healing happens very naturally in parts work when the different aspects of self meet with our care and compassion. Love reliably flows from our heart center to parts of us when we notice them in pain or distress, at the same time as our other parts have decided to trust the process and go along with it. This typically happens in the unmerged state, as we relate to Enneagram parts from pure consciousness (spirit).
The following are two examples of healing in EPW.
In a session, the participant chose to merge with the type 4 part of himself. Initially, there was a feeling of sadness, and the 4 part expressed that it felt afraid, particularly afraid of losing connection in relationships. The EPW practitioner’s mirroring these feelings back to the 4 part allowed the experience to unfold further. The type 4 aspect then expressed a need to be seen. This opened up into an experience of a raw emotional wound. The wounding was specifically related to experiences in which the participant, who had a default pace that felt natural to him, would have demands put on him by others who moved faster. In exploring this, the participant realized that, instead of thinking he should speed up to please others, he could simply accept what felt natural to him as part of him, and let others have their own pace. Healing occurred through holding space for the 4 part’s emotional currents, and finding the magic of self-acceptance.
Another EPW session showcasing healing focused on the type 5 part of self. Merging with this part, the participant initially felt “detached” and “otherwordly.” She noticed her energy felt like it was in the top of her head. The type 5 part reported that it was interested in getting information – whether focused “down here,” on the world, or “up there,” on the greater cosmos – and that it experienced knowledge as filling up an inner emptiness. In the unmerged state, the participant could sense how her 5 part needed mothering and to somehow receive life force, as if this part had been disconnected from life.6 She found that she could provide that experience to the 5 energetically, like an umbilical cord ran between her as pure consciousness and the 5. The effect this had on the 5 part was calming, combined with the sense that nourishment had restored the 5’s capability to focus on the world. “Life feels more real” — was how the participant described the positive outcome.
Harmony: Second Heart Center Level of EPW
The level of harmony is also called the “conflict resolution” level. This is relevant to situations in which we’ve become aware that two or more parts of us are in conflict. One part could be getting in the way of meeting another one’s need; or a part could be preventing the movement or expression of another part; or a part’s predominance could be causing another one to be suppressed; etc. There are many types of conflict or disharmony, but EPW enables us to mediate these conflicts and arrive at resolution, giving rise to a state of peaceful inner coherence and opening doors to totally new possibilities for our life. The following are two examples of the harmony level.
One individual exploring this method began her session by merging with the type 7 part of her. Initially, she felt the energy moving up from her belly and sensed an activation of her heart. The energy, the 7, felt drawn into the world by joy and excitement — to take action, have experiences, and enjoy life. As the enthusiasm was simply allowed to be, the 7 showed another side of itself: feeling tired, restricted, and discouraged. This Enneagram part revealed that it felt held back, leashed, burdened with having to suppress its joy and excitement. That, in turn, led to seeing that the participant’s type 1 part kept the 7 on a leash out of a fear of negative consequences. As the session progressed, it became clear her type 1 carried the pain of being told by her parents that her desires were “unreasonable” or “nonsense,” and that following them wouldn’t lead to good outcomes. She got insight into an inner conflict occurring between her 7 and 1: the 7’s wish to act on desires conflicted with the 1’s resistance to being disappointed. Through consciously relating to the 1, the participant found this part’s perspective could be influenced by new information. Changing the 1’s mind paved the way for it to release opposition to the 7’s natural pull towards joy; for the resolution of the conflict between these two parts.
Another participant who received EPW sessions had noticed a tendency in his relationships to avoid asserting himself and taking up space–qualities associated with Enneagram point 8. In a session, while merged with his type 2 part, he discovered his 2’s default pattern of being agreeable and people-pleasing in relationships, stemming from a fear of upsetting someone or being disliked. From the 2’s perspective, the inner 8 was strong willed, disagreeable, and unapologetic; allowing the 8 energy to run amok, the 2 thought, could be disastrous. So the 8 was suppressed. Interestingly, when the participant later connected with his 8, this part didn’t seem to mind being suppressed in relationships. To the 8, those relationships were going fine. It was another Enneagram part who found the people-pleasing and lack of self-assertion problematic, which turned out to be the participant’s type 4. The 4 part felt that showing up in relationships that way was inauthentic. All three of these parts — 2, 8, and 4 — were involved in the pattern he noticed, just in different ways.
This is a good example for demonstrating how a particular challenge in our life can involve multiple inner parts. At first, we may have a sense for how a challenge or pattern is related to one of our Enneagram parts. But as we dig deeper, we may uncover that there’s more going on “under the hood” than we originally thought. These discoveries can be fun and surprising, but also clarifying. In this example, the participant decided he wanted to fulfill his 4 part’s need for authenticity by changing the old ways of relating. Identifying the reasons for withholding the 8 energy, and the basis of the 2’s people-pleasing in fear, revealed a path forward. By addressing the trauma underlying the fear, and growing comfortable in bringing more of his wholeness to relational contexts – including his 8 part – he could restore authentic self-expression.
Embodiment: Gut Center Level of EPW
Embodiment occurs in the practice-ground of our everyday lives. Our normal, ordinary life of having relationships and dealing with practical matters is where this inner work takes root and grows. It is where the insights are applied, where new bold and powerful choices are made, where new shifts are explored, and where the conversation with our parts continues, rather than ends. There is no intrinsic split between times when we are completely inwardly focused (sessions) and times when our focus is more on the external (living). They are one continuum.
One of the most powerful choices we can make is to treat all of our life as spiritual practice. Like being on a retreat, each moment is an opportunity to show up and be, or embody, a deeper truth. It is through “daring to be” our wholeness, not just as a nice idea, but as an expression of a deep inner commitment, that we draw to ourselves the spiritually nourishing experiences our soul yearns for.
What does embodiment look like in practice? One person receiving EPW had experienced merging with her type 6 part of self in a session. Some time after, she was having an experience of anxiety triggered by the thought of upcoming travels. Past travels had not gone according to plan, leading to present-day apprehension of worst case scenarios. She noticed that the type 6 part of her had a need to be prepared for the travels, and specifically to prepare by gathering information. Another part of her put up resistance to this, judging the activity of searching for information as a waste of time. But she continued to feel the 6’s pull – as she had learned in the session – to receive space to “do its thing.” As she consciously allowed the 6 to step forward and do research – looking up things about airline operations, flight cancellations, and weather forecasts – it brought about a sense of peace, calm, and not needing to think or worry more. Afterwards, she reported feeling “strangely calm” during her day.7 By consciously relating to her type 6 aspect and actively making space for it, and by trusting in the intelligence of her parts, the initial anxiety turned into harmony. Integration happens when we listen to and work alongside our parts, when the higher consciousness in us lovingly conducts the inner orchestra.
Embodiment frequently involves seeing how our parts are trying to help. Another receiver of EPW sessions had been growing awareness around his type 1 part. Initially he experienced it as a berating inner voice, a critic, telling him that he wasn’t doing enough. He reported that it felt like an inner force pushing him to do things, a psychic pressure that wouldn’t lighten until he took certain actions. Before realizing what was happening, he just felt oppressed by the criticism and bad about himself. As the lightbulb of awareness turned on, he remembered he could take an integrative approach — he could ask the critic how it was trying to help. The critic, which turned out to be his type 1 part, informed him it was trying to enforce the standard of discipline in support of his long-term goals. Since he of course wanted to achieve his own goals, and agreed with the 1 part of him that discipline was necessary to do so, integration wasn’t a matter of denying the truth in the 1’s perspective. Rather, it was embodied by consciously choosing discipline while taking the 1 as an ally. Once he had taken action, there was a movement of energy, like jumping over a hurdle, and a surprising discovery happened — he experienced that the inner critic could be happy. The intense pressure subsided, replaced by a feeling of inner coherence. Seeing how the action brought him closer to his goal, he realized what his critic, his 1, had been trying to tell him. It had been advocating for his best interests all along.8
Through open-mindedness and inquiry, the relationships with all of our parts can be transformed. Apparent enemies may be revealed to be our greatest allies.
Wholeness: The Goal of EPW
The symbol of the Enneagram represents wholeness, as the circle unifies the nine points lying on its perimeter. The central triangle suggests a harmonious and balanced relationship between the three centers of intelligence — mind, heart, and body — since it is equilateral, and each side has equal length.
Historically, teachings of the Enneagram have correlated suffering and limitation with identifying as one particular type on the Enneagram. They have linked happiness and freedom, in contrast, with dis-identification from one’s fixation; with embracing a deeper identity as pure consciousness; with opening all three centers; and with bringing forth the higher qualities associated with each of the nine points. Wholeness, then, has always been of great importance in Enneagram teachings. EPW simply brings a new approach to the cultivation of inner wholeness.
It is worth going deeper into what we mean by “wholeness,” since it can be an abstract concept when it lacks an anchor in direct experience. Wholeness is the completeness of consciously including and integrating all of our parts. Energetically, it feels like inner coherence, harmony and peace. Emotionally, it is felt as love. The spiritual instinct to include and embrace – to weave unity – is based in love.
The trinity of the three subtle centers underlying the Enneagram, plus the nine aspects of consciousness mapped around the circle, are basic or essential aspects of our being. The centers of intelligence are a shared template of subtle physiology all human beings have; the nine patterns of the Enneagram are universally present. If we privilege one of the subtle centers to the exclusion of others, we generate imbalance and suffering, reflecting a lack of wholeness. By the same token, if we fixate on one Enneagram point without embracing the truth in the others, we remain trapped in a limited consciousness and “go around in circles,” making no real progress. The keys to get us unstuck are in the centers of intelligence and Enneagram points that our normal, conditioned patterns are designed to turn us awayfrom. We need to turn towards those forgotten and neglected aspects—to actively bring awareness to them and embrace them. EPW is designed to do just that.
In older spiritual teachings, the goal of “enlightenment” was thought of in different ways depending on the tradition.9 But an area of overlap between many teaching traditions was that enlightenment involved awakening from and transcending the ego, the small self. Many spiritual practitioners saw that the ego was a false identity, because it could be woken up from, like waking up from a dream. They also saw that the source of human suffering lies in identification with the ego, a false construct capturing consciousness in a sort of mental prison. They then felt inspired to share “the dharma,” the liberating truth that the ego is not one’s real, deeper identity, and one could be freed from suffering by ceasing to identify with it. The sharing of this wisdom arose from a compassionate place, since the teacher perceived unity or “sameness” with his or her students, and had a heartfelt desire for them to be freed from suffering as well.
Human collective consciousness has continued to evolve over the time these enlightenment teachings have been discovered and absorbed. On an individual level, not every human being knows what enlightenment is or has had an experience of it. However, collectively, we as humanity absorbed enough of the wisdom from these teachings – which have been more masculine10 – to the point that we became ready for the arrival of new teachings. These new, integration-focused teachings build off of the old philosophies but place greater emphasis on embracing the human experience. They emphasize consciously including and embracing aspects like emotions, human needs, and the body as a temple for the spirit. Even the ego is seen, not as an enemy, or something to pierce with insight and dismiss, but more like a fallen angel, or an aspect of the divine which got lost in the darkness and forgot its true nature.11 The new teachings, more oriented towards wholeness and “immanence,” are connected to a new wave of feminine energy rising up on Earth. This energy arrives in perfect timing to restore balance, complementing the old masculine teachings rather than replacing them entirely.
The Feminine Energy & Origins of the Method
“The teachers of the Enneagram are mainly concentrating on the Enneagram, not a philosophical context for [the Enneagram]—which has some advantages, and some big disadvantages.”
- Michael Goldberg on the “Enneagram Mapmakers” podcast
We can distinguish between the Enneagram itself and the philosophical framework or context that surrounds the Enneagram. It is pivotal to see that the Enneagram changes — it is understood and applied differently — depending on the context of teaching that surrounds it. George Gurdjieff, the mystic man who brought the symbol to the modern world, relayed it through dance and movement practices as part of the Fourth Way teachings, with no system of personality types. Oscar Ichazo, who put together the typology, presented what he named “Enneagons” in the context of his teachings, collectively called “Integral Philosophy,” which feature specific physical exercise, dietary, and meditation practices. A.H. Almaas understands the symbol within the views and logos of The Diamond Approach, elucidating how it can be used as a powerful aid to the DA’s central practice of Inquiry. In their collaborative work, Riso and Hudson drew inspiration from all of these sources but focused on developing knowledge of the personality types. They wrote that the Enneagram can be “a tremendous help to us for any path we might be on,” meaning it will still be true, relevant, and applicable, no matter what spiritual teachings we feel drawn to.
There is considerable overlap between all of these presentations of the symbol, but they are also different. Each school of inner work offers a different set of practices, though there are common threads, like practicing presence, that runbetween all of them. In addition, each time the Enneagram undergoes a change of context, there are also different nuances in how it is understood. In Gurdjieff’s teachings, the Enneagram represented three fundamental laws of creation, providing insight into how all phenomena – from stars, to cells, to atoms – arise, and the development or process they undergo while in existence. In Ichazo’s philosophy, connections were made between the Enneagram of fixations and notions of the soul derived from diverse sources, such as Neoplatonism and Kabbalah. In the Diamond Approach, the “theory of holes” explains how losing conscious awareness of our true nature manifests as deficient-feeling personality structures mapped by the Enneagram. We can learn from studying these different viewpoints that there is not one static version of the Enneagram; it comes to life differently depending on the philosophy in which it is embedded.
At the same time, if we understand that spiritual teachings are polarized either more towards the masculine or the feminine, or neutrally balanced, we can say that all of these contexts are masculinely polarized frameworks for the Enneagram. Whether expressed as Gurdjieff’s 8ish focus on Will, Ichazo’s orientation towards transcendence of the ego, or the DA’s emphasis on intellect and understanding — in all of these cases, it’s aspects of the masculine energy that are more emphasized. We can feel in a general way how the feminine energy, while not completely absent, is taking a backseat. As a result, nearly all of the modern presentations of the Enneagram, following behind these predecessors, have occurred against the invisible backdrop of philosophies more aligned with masculine energy.
As this new feminine energy synchronizes with the Enneagram, we begin to see the symbol in a new context. Instead of seeing the Enneagram types just as psychological constellations to transcend, they can be seen — and experienced in ways that feel deeply meaningful — as inner parts needing reintegration with the whole.
In childhood, we split off from our wholeness and become a fragmented, narrowed version of ourselves. Traumatic events force us to dissociate and divide our consciousness, leading to the takeover of protector parts who try to maintain control. The other parts of us, the other Enneagram parts, get repressed and pushed into the shadows, where they wait for us to reclaim them. EPW is a process of bringing the light to the shadows, to the parts we split off from in order to survive. As we reconnect with the lost aspects of self, we get a feeling of recovering something we didn’t know we longed for—a wholeness we didn’t know was missing. Through this journey, we are returned to our “true self,” like an angel once stripped of his exalted station and exiled from heaven, now welcomed home and embraced as inseparable from the divine. In the process, we make a surprising discovery: the true self is not only pure unchanging consciousness, the “zero point,” but also the totality of disparate parts we see in the Enneagram’s mirror. The feminine energy guides us toward the realization and embodiment of this truth.
Considering the importance of the feminine energy to this, it seems significant that EPW wouldn’t have come into existence without the special contributions of three women. Each one of them offered something essential to its emergence:
Teal Swan, a spiritual teacher, promotes the understanding that consciousness fragments, and teaches a method in which fragmented parts of self can be intentionally accessed, which laid the foundation for the discovery of EPW.
Audrey Meissner, an intuitive artist, was the first person to receive EPW sessions and go through all nine points in a structured container. She was willing to experiment with the method and proved how illuminating EPW can be.
Nhien Vuong, a spiritual teacher of the Enneagram, views the symbol through a contemplative lens and empowers people to pursue their soul’s calling. In collaboration with her, the name for the method crystallized; the core principles of the method were precisely identified; and more transformational aspects of the process, beyond getting insight, began to emerge. In particular, the level of healing began to organically emerge while exploring EPW together.
In this way, EPW is not the product or result of just one person, but a team effort. Embodying the spiritual truth of unity, or oneness, translates to cultivating unity with one’s parts of self by bringing them into awareness and consciously embracing them. But of equal importance is translating unity on an interpersonal level — to act, not as if one is ultimately separate from others, but from the recognition of being the same divinity, the same consciousness, just appearing with a different face. Like bees actively work together to produce honey for their hive, embodied unity occurs through collaboration, teamwork, and partnership. Synergy makes possible what one individual alone cannot achieve.
The Enneagram Revolution
“Faith can move mountains. But love — it dissolves them.”
- Nhien Vuong
The popular movie Moana plays out a mythic narrative that is encoded with deep spiritual truth. In the story, the demigod Maui steals the heart of Te Fiti, a goddess who creates life. Without her heart, the natural world begins to deteriorate. Moana embarks on the archetypal hero’s journey to restore balance; she must return Te Fiti’s heart to her. In the culmination of her quest, Moana faces the lava demon, Te Kā, convinced that Te Fiti lies just beyond the demon’s domain. At the final moment, she has an awakening. The goddess she is seeking is not beyond the demon; the demon is the goddess in disguise. When Moana offers the stolen heart to the demon, she does so knowing its true nature is veiled by the surface appearance. Te Kā then transforms back into Te Fiti; hot fire and ash give way to lush green foliage, flowers, and new life. The hero’s journey completes in a surprising way — not by defeating the darkness, but by confidently calling out its true name. Darkness is only light that has lost awareness of its true nature.
Part of the meaning of this story is that the return of the goddess Te Fiti is a metaphor for the return of the feminine energy. Balance is restored to the world, just as balance naturally emerges as a by-product of the masculine and feminine forces coming into harmony. When the feminine energy does not occupy the space it is designed to, things fall out of balance and the world suffers. The outcome of that – represented by the demon Ta Kā – should not be judged and banished to the shadows, which compounds the problem. Rather, insight into the oneness of everything allows us to see that things only become demonic when disconnected from their divinity. When we hold space from this knowing place, like Moana “holds space” for Te Kā, things become transparent to their true divine nature.
In the new teachings of integration, ego is no longer the fall guy of spirituality. Despite the fact that we as humans can’t live in a physical body without having an ego, ego still managed to get a very bad rap in the old spiritual teachings. This is because, as we said before, identification with the ego was seen as the source of suffering and the main obstacle to awakening or enlightenment. While this perspective of the awakened masculine mind holds truth, the feminine heart takes it a step further. The awakened heart perceives the unity of all things, and nothing is left out of unity – not even the manifestation called ego. The new guidance calls us to hold space for and integrate the ego, which means to transform our relationship with it by treating it as an aspect of the divine. By doing so, a new state of being arises that feels like perfect alignment. The sensation of alignment is felt when the relationships we have with life’s manifestations are aligned with the truth of reality (unity) rather than illusion (separation).
New ways of doing things are often met with resistance. Revolutions usher in new ways of doing things; that is their purpose. But the nature of spirit or consciousness is one of continual evolution. We are not designed to grab hold of a view and never question it, but to continually allow our mind to expand its size in light of new information. When that process is met with resistance, the resistance can be seen as belonging to aspects of us that have valid reasons for not immediately getting on board with the new view. Simultaneously, the resistance can soften as we remember that a new way of putting the Enneagram into practice does not diminish the value of preexisting ways of engaging with it. The “new” and “old” ways can actually be complementary. Different approaches to the same thing can benefit each other, if those approaches remain open to each other’s knowledge.
As we said at the beginning, spiritual teachings exist to serve the evolution of humanity’s consciousness. The teaching of Enneagram Parts Work is no different. It exists to serve and support the individuals who feel affinity with its unique energy. They are the deep divers into consciousness; the seekers of the truth; the ones who wish to awaken all of themselves and live a life of wholeness. They are the explorers and adventurers, boldly going into the new, without hanging onto certainty. This teaching serves them, each a unique expression of divinity in form. It calls them back home — a home in which all of their parts have been reclaimed and integrated. A home of being the full spectrum of themselves mirrored by the Enneagram.
In this article, we use the terms “parts,” “Enneagram parts,” “aspects of self” and “aspects of consciousness” all interchangeably. While it is accurate to refer to parts as aspects of consciousness, “pure consciousness” is more primary. Pure consciousness is different from parts in that, (a), it doesn’t have a personality, and (b), it can’t be taken as an object of awareness. Pure consciousness is the ever-present space within which senses of self arise. But it is not defined by what arises in it.
The information offered by the 8 part in this session aligns with what many teachers of the Enneagram have said about 8 energy, which is bold and assertive.
In parts work, it’s very common to discover conflicts between parts of self, though these conflicts can be consciously mediated and resolved.
Anytime we are consciously meeting the needs of parts of us, we are moving closer to wholeness, because we are cultivating good relationships with our parts by acting in their best interests. The positive effects of doing this are felt in the body, heart, and mind. Listening to the needs of our parts and deliberately meeting those needs is integration in action.
In this case, by “structure” the 3 part meant things like plans of action, schedules, routines, commitments, deadlines, collaboration, and accountability. These kinds of things give definition to vague aspirations, bridge abstract potentials to real life, and crystallize the way forward. With those things in place, the type 3 self can be in the preferred mode of “don’t think, just do.”
Generally, we find the experiences that arise in EPW sessions to be corroborated by what we can learn about the Enneagram types through publicly available information, though such knowledge may be felt more viscerally during sessions. For example, observing that the 5 part is disconnected from life force is congruent with what many type 5 teachers – such as AH Almaas, Russ Hudson, and Uranio Paes – have confirmed about type 5. That is, in the structure of 5 there is a tendency to withdraw and detach from life itself.
This individual also shared insight she got about her type 6 part through this process. In her words, “It wants information to really map out reality, because that’s how it moves and finds stability in the world. To be here, it needs to have [certain] information, and the anxiety moves towards seeking out this information.”
It is important to clarify that there are multiple dimensions to working with an inner critic part. The best response is not always to align with the critic’s recommended course of action. For example, sometimes a critic is operating on outdated standards or values absorbed from others that aren’t aligned with our deeper wisdom. In such cases, closely examining those standards and values is the work at hand. In this case, though, the type 1 part advocated for living up to a standard that felt resonant and aligned with the person.
Spiritual traditions haven’t always used the word “enlightenment,” though it’s very common in modern interpretations and new age circles. In Buddhism, the word nirvana is the traditional term often equated with enlightenment. Nirvana translates to “cessation.”
“Masculine” here means a basic underlying energy in the universe, like the yang (active principle) as opposed to yin (passive principle) in Taoism. The masculine is associated with an orientation towards transcendence, the mind or intellect, discipline and control, and the “emptiness” of formless consciousness as opposed to the “fullness” of life and matter. It is also associated with truth and knowledge, whereas the feminine is associated with love and feeling. A lot of the old spiritual traditions were founded and propagated by male teachers. On an energetic level, they are more aligned with the masculine energy than the feminine.
Different views on “ego” can be confusing. The old masculine teachings tend to see ego as an illusory entity that doesn’t really exist. This masculine view would make the feminine wisdom of embracing ego with love seem silly. We can consider that there is truth in both perspectives. The masculine teachings see the ego as if from an enlightened mind, and conclude that it’s not what it seems to be from a higher perspective; it’s not the deeper truth of one’s identity. The feminine sees the ego as if from an unconditionally loving heart, with less focus on it being true or false. Rather, “She” takes everything as an aspect of “Herself.” One perspective can seem right and the other wrong if we hold rigid views, but both viewpoints are part of a larger spiritual truth. They complete each other.
