The Three Centers of Intelligence

Introduction

All three centers are active in each person, and are necessary for survival. However, the mentally-based man operates primarily out of the head center, the emotionally-based man operates primarily out of the heart center, and the belly-based man operates out of the belly center.

You have all known intelligent thinkers who seem to be lost in their heads, figuring out how the their world works, creating scientific wonders, or the typical "nerdy" computer programmer. In this category, we find the compulsive "planners", who like to experience everything in live but are impossible to pin down. Try to get one of these types out on a hike or off on a ski weekend is like pulling teeth! However, some of us do enjoy the outdoors and getting "out of our heads" from time to time.

Similarly, you have noticed hysterical emotional types remind us of how strong feelings can become, the creative artist who can move us with the stroke of a brush, and the sensitive listener who cares about all of our problems and everyone else's. These people operate from their emotions, but still have to retreat into their minds to balance their checkbooks, follow recipes of discuss the merits of the latest political campaigns.

Finally, we watch the belly-based athletes perform feats of strength and endurance on Monday Night Football or during the world series. These guys could also be excellent performers, but their focus of attention in their gut.

The nine points of the enneagram reflect the tendencies of these three basic types. Thus, there are three enneagram points for each of the mental types, emotional types, and physical types.

The Mental Types

Point six on the enneagram represents the point which is most out of touch with their fear. They either avoid fearful situations by totally avoiding them (the phobic six) or they attack fearful situations with a dauntless semblance courage (the counter phobic six). Thus the phobic sixes would do anything to move away from a fearful situation. They vigilantly scan the surroundings to attempt to discover and disarm any imminent peril. They try to do whatever they can in order to feel safe.

On the other hand, the counter phobic sixes enjoy save and easy things like sky diving, race care driving, mountain climbing and other sports which directly confront danger. In actuality, they don't feel much bothered by fear in these circumstances. It seems to drive their adrenaline up to exciting levels. However hard they try to deny it, the basis for their action is fear. This is not to say that all race car drivers are sixes, but you will find that some of them are.

Point five on the enneagram was said to be the point that is most withdrawn from fear. They like to retreat into a mental world and to review their feelings in the privacy of their own homes. They tend to be highly intellectual and withdrawn into themselves.

Point seven on the enneagram represents the point which most externalized with respect to fear. People of this type have adopted the strategy of diffusing fear into pleasant options. They tend to be charming, lovable people for whom nothing is apparently wrong.

The Emotional Types

Point three on the enneagram represents the point which is most out of touch with their feelings. In this type of person, the feelings are suspended for the sake of performance, making a good impression, and getting the job done. They are concerned with efficiency and meeting deadlines. Many "work-alcoholic" people are threes.

Point four on the enneagram was said to represent the internalized version of feelings. They tend to be highly emotional people with artistic temperaments and a love for aesthetics. They like intensity in all of its forms.

Point two on the enneagram was said to be the most externally oriented about their feelings. The have the ability to alter themselves to meet the needs of the people in their environment and get a lot out of giving to others. During the course of this almost excessive giving, the suppress their own needs.

The Physical Types

Point nine on the enneagram was said to be the most out of touch with anger. Because of this, nines are passive-aggressive and want to do anything they can to avoid the direct expressing of their anger. While they are extremely nice people, they tend to be terribly self-forgetting and merge with others' points of views.

Point one on the enneagram represents the internalized version of anger. Their anger is addressed at a righteous cause or maintaining a correct posture about important elements in their lives. The ones tend to be perfectionistic about everything they feel, think and do in life.

Point eight on the enneagram represents the point which is most expressive about their anger. Here we have the outspoken leader or boss who can present their anger at a moments notice. They have no qualms about letting out their anger, even if it may be inappropriate behavior.

Integration of the Three Centers

For many years, I have practiced meditation (primarily for the intellectual center), consulted a psychologist (for the emotional center), and studied movement and dance (for the physical or instinctual center) with Gabrielle Roth and Osho. Recently, I have re-discovered playing tennis as a practice in conscious conduct. What happens when you play tennis is that you immediately become aware of your negative emotions as you become frustrated with how you hit the ball and where it takes off to. However, if you take the time to be aware of these negative emotions as just a passing fancy and continue playing the game, you develop insight into your personality and it comes to pass that you find youself hitting the ball quite frequently entirely on instinct. What a great feeling! To me, this is sometimes even better than winning the point or the match. In fact, it becomes the essence of playing tennis. Remember, "It's not whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game!"

My recommendation is for you to find a physical activity that turns you on to this extent. Welcome the frustrations and negative emotions that are sure to arise, and use them as transformational material to achieve a higher state of awareness. What a wonderful world this could be if we all took the advice of G. I. Gurdjeiff, who advised us not to act out our negative emotions, but to tap into them as a source of self-observation.