2024年10月25日(金)
The Founders of the Enneagram and Its Path to Popularity
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English Contents The Founders of the Enneagram and Its Path to Popularity

Origin of the Term "Enneagram"
The term “Enneagram” combines “ennea,” meaning the number nine in Greek, and “gram,” meaning a diagram. It refers to a figure with nine points.

Introduction of the Enneagram to Western Society
This diagram was introduced to Western society in the early 20th century by G.I. Gurdjieff, a mystic from the Caucasus region of Russia. In the 1960s, Oscar Ichazo, a philosopher from Bolivia, created the foundation for the personality type Enneagram as it is known today, building upon Gurdjieff’s diagram.

Ichazo’s Typology and Method

Ichazo used this diagram to create a method called "protoanalysis," categorizing people’s emotional tendencies into nine personality types.

Debunking Misconceptions about the Enneagram
There was once a belief that the Enneagram originated from a secret oral tradition within Sufism, the mystical Islamic tradition. This notion was even introduced to Japan, though it is now widely debunked. While Gurdjieff was indeed knowledgeable about Sufi teachings, it’s believed that Ichazo also tapped into similar wisdom traditions.

Teaching the Enneagram at the Arica Institute Ichazo began teaching the Enneagram at the Arica Institute in Chile, attracting notable figures from North America, including John Lilly, famous for his dolphin research. However, Lilly did not pursue the Enneagram in depth afterward.

Claudio Naranjo and the Spread of the Enneagram
One of Ichazo’s prominent students was Claudio Naranjo, a psychologist and psychiatrist. Initially a direct disciple of Ichazo, Naranjo began teaching the Enneagram upon returning to North America, contributing significantly to its spread. By the 1970s, the Enneagram had gained popularity among the general public as a tool for personal growth and relationship improvement.

The Catholic Group and the Enneagram

Among those who studied the Enneagram through Naranjo were Jesuit priests from the Catholic Church. The Jesuit Order, founded by Ignatius of Loyola, integrated the Enneagram into spiritual practices, viewing it as a valuable tool. The first book introducing the Enneagram in Japan, titled Introduction to the Enneagram, was translated with significant contributions from Sister Hideko Suzuki, a professor at Sacred Heart University. Suzuki later published The Nine Types of Personality, which became a bestseller in Japan around 2000.

Naranjo’s Influence and Critique of the Catholic Interpretation
In his book Character and Neurosis, Naranjo discusses the nine Enneagram types through his extensive psychological and psychiatric knowledge. His analysis is sometimes critical of the Catholic interpretation, linking the Enneagram with other personality typologies and theories of psychiatry.

Note:
The Enneagram, as a personality typology system, originates with Oscar Ichazo. Its evolution and spread were largely influenced by Claudio Naranjo, extending beyond psychology into the psycho-spiritual domain.

the American Enneagram Institute: Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson
The Enneagram is taught today by several schools, but Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson of the United States have made particularly notable contributions. Riso, initially a Jesuit, founded the Enneagram Institute to share the wisdom of the Enneagram beyond religious confines. Together with Russ Hudson, they organized workshops across the globe, including in Europe, China, and Japan. Today, Hudson continues the work after Riso’s passing, and the Enneagram Institute’s Japan branch is led by Yoshiko Takaoka and Tim McLean of C+F.

Note: This history of the Enneagram is divided into three parts due to some overlapping content.
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