Sunday, July 06, 2003

The siren song of multi-tasking Some types, notably Threes and Sevens, wax poetic over the joys of multi-tasking.  But what is the price of this habit of mind, particularly in our data-drenched culture? The Lure of Data: Is It Addictive?. The ubiquity of technology in the lives of businesspeople and consumers has created a a brewing tension between productivity and freneticism. By Matt Richtel. [New York Times: Business] 6:59:59 PM     On relationships A lot of the news coming in through the aggregators is fun to read but doesn't fit into the range of topics I write about.  The following is a notable exception and is one of the more interesting pieces I've read recently on relationships.  Three years ago today: "Other people make good mirrors, but the answer to the who-am-I question is inside." [Scripting News] 6:47:37 PM

Saturday, July 05, 2003

David Daniels is adding a blog to his website A few months ago, I emailed David to tell him about blogs . . . and he's now planning to add one to his website. I haven't had much to say in the last week so will be back on track by tomorrow night.  My last remaining uncle is very ill, so I'm headed up this morning to see him, and to say good-bye.  He's a self-pres Eight, terrified me at times when I was growing up, but knowing that he will soon make his transition has let me know that I deeply care about him and is perhaps why I generally feel comfortable with Eights. 6:15:19 AM

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

William Gibson, Truth and George Orwell In spite of this blog's focus on the Ennegram, I'll sometimes choose to post news of general interest.  I'm a consultant for a library system, and a big fan of William Gibson, so can't resist putting this post up: "In the age of the leak and the blog, of evidence extraction and link discovery, truths will either out or be outed, later if not sooner." [Scripting News] 11:04:56 PM

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

Notes on the Three Spiritual Traditions Conference at Loyola University, Chicago   I spent two wonderful days listening to teachers in three spiritual traditions--Judaism (Rabbi Howard Addison), Islam (Prof. Marcia Hermansen) and medieval Christian mysticism (Prof. Mark Johnston).  After a day of the inevitable abreaction, or karmic backlash, I'm ready to share my impressions of this experience.   There were many high moments, particularly in listening to the Rabbi's accounting of his visit in Jerusalem, where he went out at dawn to listen to the devout pray, and heard the prayers of the Kabbalah spoken in an order by Sephardic Jews that that was different than what he had experienced in his Ashkenazi tradition--an order that closely matched the Enneagram. . . . thus were one of the moments in the day when we collectively engaged in the spiritual practice of comparing one spiritual system with another, and experiencing realizations and revelations as a result.   Marcia led us in meditation practices from the Sufi tradition that she follows, practices in which we utilized the breath in specific ways, to create sounds that reverberated different chakras, to create altered states within us . . . these practices gently open the level of the heart as a subtle organ of perception.   Marcia also differentiated stages in spiritual practice as levels of permanent spiritual attainment, from spiritual states--the former being, for example, fear of God, piety, perplexity and bewilderment, shattering, emptying are high stages of development.  She also briefly presented the concept of different paths, or margas.  Discernment is one path, learning from observing, from reading; Pakti is another path--that of love or devotion.  There is also the path of good works.  There is the path of doing (i.e., breath work).  Sufism recognizes these different paths.   Circles of 9 with a 10th quality representing God or Essence are Aristotelian in origin.   In his discussion of Ramon Llull, Mark drew comparisons between Llull's work and that of Sandra Maitri . . . but I see some parallels with the work of Helen Palmer, not just in terms of her writing, but in terms of her life work.  Llull's work was done outside the academy and outside the church, and while his work was respected during his life, it lasted for a full 600 YEARS AFTER HE DIED through the more than 300 manuscripts he wrote, schools--even a university on Majorca--that were established to present curricula through the lens of Llull's perspective and practices.   Both Gurdjieff and Ichazo have cited Llull as a source.   Rabbi Addison pointed out that the Hasidic movement in the 19th century brought in the psychologization of the Kabbalah.  The Spanish Kabbalah was cosmological and focused on creation.  The Rabbi also described the movement of these systems as coming from antiquity with nineness, through the Desert Fathers with Eight Frames of Mind, then to Seven Deadly Sins, then Llull goes back to nine.   More musings on this another time. 10:49:47 PM

Saturday, June 21, 2003

The Basic Enneagram at Unity of Chicago Enneagram Connections of Chicago will be presenting a half-day workshop, The Enneagram Basic, at Unity Church of Chicago, on Sunday, July 27, 1:30-5:00 p.m.  Deborah Ooten and Merri Monks will present speakers for the nine Types in the Narrative Tradition, a teaching method developed by Helen Palmer.  Both Deborah and Merri are certified Enneagram teachers in Helen's program.  A variety of presentation methods and audience participation exercises will be included in the seminar.  Deborah is a therapist/coach in private practice in Cincinnati, who teaches occasionally with Merri in Chicago.  Merri is an educator, writer and consultant. Unity Church is located at 1925 W. Thome Avenue, near Ridge and Devon Avenues in Chicago. 9:04:05 PM     Three Spiritual Traditions The first of the two-day conference at Loyola University in Chicago, on underlying and remarkably similar patterns in the contemplative branches of Judaism, Islam and Christianity (in the life and work of Ramon Llull), featured three excellent speakers.  The group attending may seem small--about 40 people--but given that today was the first warm Saturday of the summer, and the weather was as perfect as it gets in Chicago, the turn-out was excellent. Rabbi Howard Addison of Temple University presented material on the Kabbalah, and its numeric and energetic similarities to the Enneagram.  The Rabbi also guided us in a spiritual practice.  Marcia Hermansen, professor in Loyola's theological department, presented Sufi principles, including spiritual practices. Mark Johnston of DePaul University presented material on Ramon Llull, a 13th Century lay Franciscan who developed a complex system that bears significant resemblances to the Enneagram, including nine vices and virtues.  The study of Llull's material--over 300 articles and books--was sustained for over 600 years, and while aspects of the psychological model he developed are no longer of interest other than in a historical context, his spiritual and ethical system is attracting renewed interest.  One of the most remarkable aspects of Llull's work is that he was not affiliated with either the Church or a university. Each speaker commented on the exchange of religious ideas at that time (13th Century), and each commented on the parallels in Europe at that time to our own period of history, but each pointed out signficant differences. 8:53:14 PM     "Three Spiritual Traditions: Tracing the Roots of the Enneagram" I'll be attending this conference at Loyola University in Chicago tomorrow and Sunday and will include a report here on the proceedings at the end of each day.  It promises to be excellent, with examinations of the history of the development of the Enneagram in three major world religions:  Christianity, Islam and Judaism.  This conference is sponsored by the First Analysis Institute of Integrative Studies and the Institute of Pastorial Studies, Loyola University, Chicago.   1:03:55 AM

Thursday, June 19, 2003

Using the Enneagram in the Workplace A recent lengthy project in my work environment (I'm an internal consultant for a state agency) was an excellent and complex setting in which to utilize my current level of expertise with managing my own type, and observing the behavior of others. A recent discussion around merger with another similar state agency put me into a situation in which I disagreed with an Eight and a Three.  Fortunately, as a counterphobic Six who has learned the difference between moving forward from anxiety, versus being present and courageous, I was able to mostly be more of the latter.  Twenty minutes a day of sitting meditation was my most useful tool in all of this, but having a logical mind and an assemblage of facts were important as well.  I have another, new co-worker who seems to also be a counterphobic Six (male), whose thinking and capability to both relate to people and to gather facts are similar to mine, and working with him was a pleasure. I found that I was able to stay centered most of the time, and by not engaging in the type-driven "dance" with either the Eight or the Three, I was able to stay present, clear and unaffected by their aggression toward me. Ah, enlightenment, or some semblance of it . . . it underscored for me that the most important task in my life is to stay on a path of psychological and spiritual development/integration, and to use whatever is in my life as a resource for that development. More, as we say, will be revealed. 11:47:15 PM

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

ENNEAGRAM BOOK STUDY AND PANEL INTERVIEW IN DETROIT AREA My EPTP colleagues in the Detroit area will be starting an Enneagram study group beginning in July.  Ronda Diegel and JoAnn Weber will be facilitating.  Here's the information--if you live anywhere near Detroit, I highly recommend this group.  Both Ronda and JoAnn are very skilled and knowledgeable teachers. ------------------------------------------ Please join us for an Enneagram study group beginning in July.  The group will focus on one Enneagram type per month with an emphasis on relationships and subtype. Each study group will feature a panel interview, using the narrative tradition of teaching. WHEN:       Beginning Wednesday, July 9, 2003, 7:00- 9:00 pm                      See below for future dates*   WHERE:     Universalist Unitarian Church of Farmington - 25301 Halstead Rd.,                       Farmington Hills (located on the west side of Halstead, north of                              Grand River, & south of Eleven Mile Rd.)   WHO:          Ronda Diegel, PhD and JoAnn Weber, MSW, CSW.  Both are certified teachers of the Enneagram through Helen Palmer's Enneagram Professional Training Program.           WHAT:    The Study Group includes:                    Meditation and sharing                    Discussion of one type per month                    Panel interview                    Readings from The Enneagram In Love and Work: Understanding                    Your Intimate and Business Relationships, by Helen Palmer COST:      $10 per session   For more information on Enneagram resources, international workshops and trainings, particularly featuring the narrative tradition of teaching and learning, refer to the website  www.AuthenticEnneagram.com. *Book Study will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month with the exception of August. August Book Study will be held on August 20th. For more information on the Enneagram events in Michigan please contact: Ronda    rmdiegel@earthlink.net Jo Ann   jaweber@peoplepc.com   We look forward to seeing you, deepening our study, and nurturing our Michigan Enneagram community. 6:55:51 AM

© Copyright 2003 Merri Monks. Last update: 7/6/2003; 7:00:34 PM.