Where did the Enneagram come from?
The Enneagram’s roots go back 2000-4000 years and it continues to be used today as a way of coming to know and understand your focus of attention, core beliefs, coping strategies, and unique path of development.
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The word Enneagram comes from the Greek words ennea (which means “nine”) and gram (meaning “something that is written or drawn.
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The Enneagram began as an oral tradition first appearing in Asia and the Middle East several thousand years ago. Its teachings have been seen in the works of Aristotle, Evagrius Ponticus, Homer, and Pythagoras.
Over the last century, there have been three people who have helped spread the Enneagram across all continents. In the 1930s, G.I. Gurdjieff began working with the Enneagram in Europe. In the 1960s Oscar Ichazo began his work in South America. Claudio Naranjo, an American psychiatrist born in Chile, studied under Ichazo and brought it to the United States.
Since then it has been introduced to several religious and spiritual communities throughout the world.
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Today, thousands of books have been written about the Enneagram. It's recognized and valued worldwide as a tool for developing self-awareness and a greater understanding of others.