Whenever we identify with idealized aspects of our persona (me), we tend to disidentify with our opposite shadow attributes (notme). For example, if we think of ourselves as being loving and kind, then we don’t want to be thought of as being selfish and cruel. To avoid these unacceptable parts of ourselves, we put them in the basement (our unconscious) where we can forget about them. We manage this through repression and splitting. We can also throw out our garbage onto others and process it in them. We do this through projection and projective identification.

When we are divided against ourselves, we appear as one-dimensional personalities with internal conflicts and conflicted relationships. Re-owning our disavowed parts and integrating our inner polarities lead to inner wholeness with an enriched sense of self, increased energy, and less complicated connections with others.

We’ll explore each Enneagram style’s ego identifications (me) and their shadows (not-me), the defenses used against our unacceptable parts, and techniques for reacquainting us with and reintegrating our disowned characteristics. In short we’ll learn the 4 R’s: how to recognize, relabel, reown, and recycle all the parts of ourselves. If our motor is eight cylinder and we’re only using four, it’s time to get up to speed.

Workshop Objectives

Participants will learn the self-concepts and shadows of each Enneagram style.

Participants will learn how the defense mechanisms of projection and projective identification operate in each style.

Through illustration, demonstration, and practice, participants will learn practices for recognizing, renaming, reclaiming, and recycling the rejected aspects of themselves.

Jerry Wagner

2017

2017 IEA Global Conference

San Antonio, Texas, USA