The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram: Nine Faces of the Soul [Paperback]

Sandra Maitri's "The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram" is, without doubt, the most insightful and meaningful book on the enneagram I have read. However, I must also agree with Ms. Maitri's own comments elsewhere on this page and caution potential readers that this is not a "beach read" and is best suited as reading for those who are seriously ready-- and honestly ABLE-- to take a deeper look at their own psycho-spiritual essence and soul. This is not a pop-psychology "personality typing" book, but rather a valuable guide for people-- "seekers"-- on their journey of self-discovery, transformation and self-realization.

Yes, the book DOES touch on the "Nine Points" of the enneagram in the "personality type" context most people know it, and it covers the psychological aspects of the different "types." The majority of "The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram" is dedicated to a thorough discussion of each of the nine enneagram points, examining the way each has "lost touch" with its essence or "Holy Idea;" describing the psychological and environmental circumstances for these losses, and then offering guidance on how to recover the part of the self that has been lost. That is an oversimplification, of course, as there is SO much more here. Maitri takes us on a spiritual journey that comes as close as ANY contemporary writer to reaching the origins of the enneagram as a system for integrating the nine ASPECTS (as opposed to personality "TYPES") of human consciousness into a whole and self-actualized person. And, in taking that journey, readers must be prepared to look "beneath the surface" and examine some of the "not so nice" (or "shadow" aspects) of their beings. Whereas the insights offered are often profound, they may also be a bit disturbing to some readers-- in the sense one would feel "disturbed" by a writer's ability to describe parts of one's psyche that has never been shared with anyone else.

The term "sprituality" by no means makes this a "religious" book-- an angle I generally avoid in a psychology and self-help context. Instead, it is a book about understanding and healing our souls, regardless of religious orientation.

Final thoughts: HIGHLY recommended (10 out of 10 possible bookmarks), possibly the best enneagram related book I have read in 10+ years! Definitely a book for the "serious student;" familiarity with the enneagram and the process of objective self-scrutiny is STRONGLY suggested (if not *essential*)-- as is a strong vocabulary and knowledge of the finer nuances of the English language. A gem of a book, but NOT for the faint of heart.

Thanks for reading,

--Peter

This book connects the nine points and shows how they all fit into a great spiritual whole in a way that no other book does. As Geneen Roth says in the intro, I already KNOW all of these things about myself, and while there is some comfort in seeing a pattern, what am I supposed to do with this info? Am I to be stuck forever as a discontented four? This book shows how transformation is possible and how each point represents an aspect of the divine unfolding. It lifts the Enneagram above the pop psyc level where you just find out who is compatible with whom. Well written, wonderful style.

I am a big fan of this book and find that it compliments the work of Riso and Hudson, Helen Palmer and others. The book has a lot of depth! The insights that Sandra Maitri illuminates regarding each ennea-type are expressed beautifully although not always in the most sensitive manner.

A can see where a lot of people would have resistance to this book because it unmasks the shadow side of the personality. However, this is precisely what the Enneagram is concerned with. Basically, it's about the different ways one can be an ego in the world and when you look deeply, this isn't very pretty to look at. I admire her for not sugar-coating what each type is about. The first time I read about my type, I laughed and at other times felt like crying.

Maitri does not take as scientific an approach as Riso and Hudson. However, this does not mean there is not a lot of value here. Shakespeare did not take a scientific approach to love, but he certainly had a lot of insight into it and there is much to be learned about life by reading his plays. Similarly, one can learn a lot about the various ennea-types, ennea-type dynamics and how all of this might be related to spirituality.

A lot of the knowledge contained in this book comes out of the work of Ichazo, Naranjo and A. H. Almaas. I have read Almaas' book on the Enneagram and I actually think that Maitri does a better job of presenting the types than he did. While I think she is appropriately introspective and interpretive, I don't find she is so speculative as to lose credibility with a less esoteric audience.

In short, this book combines psychology and spirituality in a plausible integration that has stood the test of time with respect to an empirically developed model. I think this is part of the value that Maitri offers. Riso and Hudson looked at the Enneagram more clinically and developmentally. They scratched the surface of the spiritual dimension, but Maitri expands on it. This isn't a treatise on Physics, it's a soulful look at the Enneagram.

Personally, I find this book to be very useful. While it is difficult to admit, I think she nailed my type and I have found what she wrote about the dynamics of other types to be true. In fact, I have taken Enneagram assessment classes and talked about her ideas with different types and they seem to agree. While a lot of people are triggered by what they read in her book, at the same time they seem to recognize the validity of it. She says a lot of the same things Helen Palmer, Riso and Hudson and others have said, but she takes it further and deeper in some ways. This makes her book a unique and valuable contribution, especially for people who have already read the other author's books.

Even if you are not someone who believes in the validity of the Enneagram, this is a thought provoking read. It will cause you to deeply inquire into your own personality dynamics and those of the people around you.

If you are looking for a good general book to get started in exploring the Enneagram, then I recommend the Wisdom of the Enneagram by Riso and Hudson. This is a very well-balanced introduction to Enneagram theory and how you can use it for your own personal growth. These authors take a more mainstream approach and have done much work to validate the Enneagram model clinically. At the same time, they honor the spiritual dimension of it without diving into the spiritual specifics in great depth.

If I were only going to own two Enneagram books, the Wisdom of the Enneagram and the Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram would be my two "must haves." The former book leans in the direction of psychology and the latter goes deeper into spirit where Riso and Hudson stop. On the other hand, Riso and Hudson have other books that go deeper into the various psychological levels of the Enneagram model and map them back to DSM type classifications of psychological disorders. Again... the books are complimentary, they offer depth, but Riso and Hudson do it more from within a psychological framework. Maitri trys to go beyond this by exploring the spiritual dynamics that give rise to the psychological propensities of the various types.