For thousands of years, sexuality and fertility formed the foundation for any spiritual belief and practice. This connection with nature was replaced by world religions, which focus on patriarchal values and repressing the forces of nature instead. The enneagram of personalities teaches us to get back in touch with our True Nature, but few dare to break the taboo on sexuality and admit that humans are sexual beings. Indeed, the understanding of human sexuality of most people in our 'advanced' civilisation is based on patriarchal stereotypes, which all too often run opposite to both ancient spiritual teachings and modern-day scientific research. The enneagram explains how our cognitive mind gives meaning to events or behaviour that have no inherent meaning apart from a biological-evolutionary function of survival. This also applies to human sexuality, with our motivations for sexual interaction depending on our specific worldview or lack of harmony between the different instinctual drives. The enneagram can explain why couples may feel sexually incompatible, why people stray, why we may feel a lack of satisfaction, etc. Understanding these aspects of sexuality should not justify certain behaviour but rather increase our empathy and invite for a mature dialogue instead of demonising the other.
Frederik Coene, PhD Dr. Frederik Coene is a diplomat and researcher whose fascination with the enneagram opened up new research interests. He currently focuses his research on the influences of our personality on human sexuality and on the Yamchun fortress as possible 'missing link' with the Sarmoung brotherhood.
Valerie Wanamaker Valerie Wanamaker is an LCSWA, specialised in relationship issues and sexuality. She is a faculty member at the Enneagram School of Awakening in Asheville, NC. IEA Accredited Professional