Enneagram Levels of Consciousness, the most important dimension of the framework
Jun 12, 2023
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Discover how the Enneagram Levels of Consciousness can help us be the best version of ourselves, regardless of our type. Explore the significance of varying consciousness levels by comparing figures like Martin Luther King, Jr and Osama bin Laden. Learn how shedding ego layers can lead to personal growth and self-realization.
Levels of consciousness in the Enneagram framework help individuals understand and overcome ego fixations for personal growth.
Each Enneagram type has its gifts and challenges, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and acceptance for self-improvement.
Deep dives
Importance of Levels of Consciousness in the Enneagram
Understanding the levels of consciousness is crucial in the Enneagram framework as it allows individuals to rise above ego fixations and unhealthy patterns. The vertical dimension of the Enneagram, termed the levels of consciousness, explains why people display different behaviors within the same type and emphasizes the significance of becoming intimately aware of one's ego to achieve personal growth and freedom from egoic constraints.
Creative, Controlling, and Destructive Levels of Consciousness
The Enneagram categorizes consciousness into three main levels: creative, controlling, and destructive. The creative level represents healthy awareness and the ability to make choices beneficial for oneself and others, even when uncomfortable. On the other hand, the controlling level involves seeking external validation, acting out of insecurities, and rationalizing actions based on fears. At the destructive level, the ego's need for validation becomes desperate, leading to destructive behaviors at any cost.
Ascending the Levels of Consciousness for Personal Growth
Climbing up the levels of consciousness to achieve one's best self involves becoming acutely aware of controlling and destructive behaviors, taking responsibility for them, and gradually transitioning into the creative level. True growth stems from accepting discomfort, acknowledging controlling tendencies, and striving for increased awareness to break free from egoic limitations. The Enneagram serves as a tool to cultivate self-awareness and promote personal development.
How can Donald Trump be the same type as Martin Luther King, Jr? How can Nelson Mandela be the same type as Osama bin Laden? It all comes down to the Levels of Consciousness. In this episode, we explore the most important dimension of the Enneagram, the Levels of Consciousness, which is so critical because it gives us the roadmap to be the best version of ourselves. No type on the Enneagram is better than any of the other types. Each type has its gifts and challenges. So the goal of the Enneagram is not to unconsciously identify ourselves as the type that we find most attractive. Instead, the goal is to become conscious of the type that we already are, no matter how unflattering it might be, and use that awareness to become a better version of that type. The Levels of Consciousness, shows us, as we often say in our workshops, how we can shed the layers of the ego — our identity of who we think we should be — so we can be who we are. It is our key to personal growth and a jumping off point for self-realization.