Where does the Enneagram come from?

While the ancient origins of the Enneagram remain somewhat obscure, we know that the Enneagram symbol and its meaning evolved centuries before the development of modern psychology. The name is a combination of two ancient Greek words: ennea (nine) and gramma (a drawing), meaning a geometric figure with nine points. The symbol was described in the teachings of philosopher/mystic George Gurdjieff in the 1920s. In the 1970s, psychiatrist and personality assessment researcher Claudio Naranjo took the framework of the Enneagram’s nine personality types that he had learned from philosopher Oscar Ichazo and correlated it with the DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) used by psychologists. This was the “big bang” of the modern teaching we call the Enneagram of Personality — an integration of spiritual wisdom, personality theory, and Western psychological models of behavioral health.

In the past five decades, psychologists, researchers, and educators have interpreted and further developed the Enneagram. As a result, there are now several teaching and certifying organizations that provide training in using the Enneagram in business, counseling, coaching, and as a tool for spiritual and psychological growth.