Difference between revisions of "Archetype" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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*[[Vodun]] ... [[Ti Malice]], [[Baron Samedi]]
 
*[[Vodun]] ... [[Ti Malice]], [[Baron Samedi]]
 
*[[Yoruba mythology]] ... [[Eshu]]
 
*[[Yoruba mythology]] ... [[Eshu]]
 
Modern day tricksters
 
*[[Brer Rabbit]]
 
*[[Bugs Bunny]]
 
*[[Bart Simpson]] from [[The Simpsons]]
 
*Kyprioth, also known as the Trickster is the patron god of the Copper (or Kyprin) In [[Tamora Pierce]]'s fantasy novels about [[Tortall]]
 
*[[Plastic Man]] comic artist [[Jack Cole]]'s [[shapeshifting]] [[superhero]].
 
*[[Q (Star Trek)|Q]] from ''[[Star Trek]]''*[[Mr. Mxyzptlk]], an [[imp]]like tormentor of [[Superman]]
 
*Jerry Mouse from ''[[Tom & Jerry]]''
 
*[[Karagiozis]], a puppet of [[Greek folklore]] tales
 
*[[Captain Jack Sparrow]] from ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]''
 
*[[Toya Kinomoto]] (Tori Avalon) from ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'' (''Cardcaptors'')
 
*[[Tzeentch]] the god of chaos in the [[Warhammer Fantasy]] universe.
 
*[[J. R. "Bob" Dobbs]] from [[Church of the SubGenius]]
 
*The Woodsie Lord, also called simply "The Trickster," is god of the [[paganism|pagans]] in the ''[[Thief (computer game)|Thief]]'' computer game series.
 
*[[Trickster (comics)|The Trickster]], a [[supervillain]] in the [[DC Universe]] who has been both an ally and an enemy of [[Flash (comics)|The Flash]].
 
*[[Matrim Cauthon]] from the [[Wheel of Time]] fantasy book series.
 
*[[Nyarlathotep]] in the [[Cthulhu Mythos]] is a malevolent Trickster figure in many of the tales that feature him.
 
*[[The Tramp]], [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s famous silent film character.
 
*[[The Riddler]] [[DC Comics]] [[supervillain]], an enemy of [[Batman]]
 
*[[Arsene Lupin]] the gentleman thief from [[Maurice Leblanc]]'s novel series of the same name.
 
  
  
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==Archetypes in Literature==
 
==Archetypes in Literature==
  
Architypes are often discussed in [[literature]]. [[William Shakespeare]], for example, is known for popularizing many archetypal characters. Although he based many of his characters on existing archetypes from [[fable]]s and [[myth]]s, Shakespeare's characters stand out as original by their contrast against a complex, social literary landscape. More recently, the wise old man archetype can be found as [[Thufir Hawat]] from ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'', or Oogruk, in Gary Paulsen's novel ''Dogsong''.
+
Architypes are often discussed in [[literature]]. [[William Shakespeare]], for example, is known for popularizing many archetypal characters. Although he based many of his characters on existing archetypes from [[fable]]s and [[myth]]s, Shakespeare's characters stand out as original by their contrast against a complex, social literary landscape. More recently, the wise old man archetype can be found as [[Thufir Hawat]] from ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'', or Oogruk, in Gary Paulsen's novel ''Dogsong''. Sometime the wise old wizard may be a wise old witch, as Moiraine Damodred from ''The Wheel of Time'' novels. The trickster archetype is found in [[Arsene Lupin]] the gentleman thief from [[Maurice Leblanc]]'s novel series of the same name.
  
 
==Archetypes in popular culture==
 
==Archetypes in popular culture==
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*[[Morpheus (Matrix character)|Morpheus]] from ''[[The Matrix]]''
 
*[[Morpheus (Matrix character)|Morpheus]] from ''[[The Matrix]]''
 
*[[Yoda]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] and [[Qui-Gon Jinn]] from the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films.
 
*[[Yoda]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] and [[Qui-Gon Jinn]] from the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films.
 
 
*[[Mr. Miyagi]] from ''[[The Karate Kid]]''
 
*[[Mr. Miyagi]] from ''[[The Karate Kid]]''
 
*[[Rafiki]] from ''[[The Lion King]]''
 
*[[Rafiki]] from ''[[The Lion King]]''
  
 
+
===Trickster===
 
+
Modern day tricksters
===Other genres===
+
*[[Brer Rabbit]]
*[[Gen]] from the ''[[Street Fighter]]'' game series
+
*[[Bugs Bunny]]
*Oogruk, in [[Gary Paulsen]]'s novel ''[[Dogsong]]''
+
*[[Bart Simpson]] from [[The Simpsons]]
 
+
*Kyprioth, also known as the Trickster is the patron god of the Copper (or Kyprin) In [[Tamora Pierce]]'s fantasy novels about [[Tortall]]
In some instances, the wise old wizard may be a wise old witch:
+
*[[Plastic Man]] comic artist [[Jack Cole]]'s [[shapeshifting]] [[superhero]].
*[[Moiraine Damodred]]   from ''[[The Wheel of Time]]''  novels
+
*[[Q (Star Trek)|Q]] from ''[[Star Trek]]''*[[Mr. Mxyzptlk]], an [[imp]]like tormentor of [[Superman]]
 +
*Jerry Mouse from ''[[Tom & Jerry]]''
 +
*[[Captain Jack Sparrow]] from ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]''
 +
*[[Trickster (comics)|The Trickster]], a [[supervillain]] in the [[DC Universe]] who has been both an ally and an enemy of [[Flash (comics)|The Flash]].
 +
*[[Matrim Cauthon]] from the [[Wheel of Time]] fantasy book series.
 +
*[[The Tramp]], [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s famous silent film character.
 +
*[[The Riddler]] [[DC Comics]] [[supervillain]], an enemy of [[Batman]]
  
 
==Archetypal symbols==
 
==Archetypal symbols==

Revision as of 21:50, 8 February 2006


An archetype is an idealized model of a person, object, or concept from which similar instances are derived, copied, patterned, or emulated.

Jungian archetypes

The archetype is a concept of psychologist Carl Jung. For Jung, "archetype is an explanatory paraphrase of the Platonic eidos" (9, pt. 1: 4), but he distinguishes his concept and use of the term from that of philosophical idealism as being more empirical and less metaphysical, though most of his "empirical" data were dreams. In this context, archetypes are innate prototypes for ideas, which may subsequently become involved in the interpretation of observed phenomena. A group of memories and interpretations closely associated with an archetype is called a complex, and may be named for its central archetype (e.g. "mother complex"). Jung often seemed to view the archetypes as sort of psychological organs, directly analogous to our physical, bodily organs: both being morphological givens for the species; both arising at least partially through evolutionary processes. Jung hypothesized that all of mythology could be taken as a type of projection of the collective unconscious.

Jung was especially knowledgeable in the symbolism of complex mystical traditions such as Gnosticism, Alchemy, Kabala, and similar traditions in Hinduism and Buddhism. From his research, he found that the concept of archetype was already in use at the time of St. Augustine in De deversis quaestionibus which speaks of "ideas...which are not yet formed...which are contained in the divine intelligence". His studies revealed that archetype was synonymous with the "Idea" of Platonic usage (arche, "original"; typos, "form"). The Corpus Hermeticum from the third century describes God as to archetypon phos, the "archetypal light", expressing the idea that God is the prototype of all light. Jung stated that to contnue in this strain, there must also be a prototype or primordial image of the mother. The research of preliterate primitive people by Lévy-Bruhl, French philospher, ethnologist, and psychologist, describes representations collectives in his 1910 book How Natives Think, as the symbolic figures in the primitive view of the world. Jung also found expressions of the archetypes in his study of tribal folk lore, mythology and fairy tales, as well as through his travels to Algiers, Tunis, New Mexico, Uganda, Kenya, Mount Elgon, Egypt via the Nile River, Rome and India.

Jung's life work was to make sense of the unconscious and its habit of revealing itself in symbolic form through archetypes of the collective unconscious. He believed that it was only possible to live the fullest life when in harmony with these archetypal symbols; "wisdom is a return to them"(CW8:794). Through the understanding of how an individual patient's unconscious integrates with the collective unconscious, that patient can be helped towards achieving a state of individuation, or wholeness of self.

The key archetypes that Jung felt were especially important include: the persona, the shadow, the anima/animus, the mother, the father, the wise old man, and the self. Others include the trickster, the God image, the Syzygy (Divine Couple), the child, the hero and a variety of archtypal symbols.

The Self

The self, according to Jung, is the most important archetype. It is called the "midpoint of the personality", a centre between consciousness and the unconsciousness. It signifies the harmony and balance between the various opposing qualities that make up the psyche. The symbols of the self can be anything that the ego takes to be a greater totality than itself. Thus many symbols fall short of expressing the self in its fullest development. Symbols of the self are often manifested in geometrical forms (mandalas) or by the quaternity (a figure with four parts). Prominent human figures which represent the self are the Buddha or Christ. This archetype is also represented by the divine child and by various pairs—father and son, king and queen, or god and goddess.

The Shadow

In Jungian psychology, the shadow is a part of the unconscious mind which is mysterious and often disagreeable to the conscious mind, but which is also relatively close to the conscious mind. It may be (in part) one's original self, which is superseded during early childhood by the conscious mind; afterwards it comes to contain thoughts that are repressed by the conscious mind. The shadow is instinctive and irrational, but is not necessarily evil even when it might appear to be so. It can be both ruthless in conflict and empathetic in friendship. It is important as a source of hunches, for understanding of one's own more inexplicable actions and attitudes (and of others' reactions), and for learning how to cope with the more problematic or troubling aspects of one's personality.

It is said to be made up of all the reprehensible characteristics that each of us wish to deny, including animal tendencies that Jung claims we have inherited from our subhuman ancestors. However when individuals recognize and integrate their shadows, they progress further towards self-realization . On the other hand, the more unaware of the shadow we are, the blacker and denser it is. The more dissociated it is from conscious life, the more it will display a compensatory demonic dynamism. It is often projected outwards on individual or groups who are then thought to embody all the immature, evil, or repressed elements of the individual's own psyche.

The shadow may appear in dreams and visions in various forms, often as a feared or despised person or being, and may act either as an adversary or as a friend. It typically has the same apparent gender as one's persona. It is possible that it might tend to appear with dark skin to a person of any race, since it represents an old ancestral aspect of the mind. The shadow's appearance and role depend greatly on individual idiosyncrasies, because the shadow develops in the individual's mind rather than simply being inherited in the collective unconscious.

Interactions with the shadow in dreams may shed light on one's state of mind. A disagreement with the shadow may indicate that one is coping with conflicting desires or intentions. Friendship with a despised shadow may mean that one has an unacknowledged resemblance to whatever one hates about that character. These examples refer to just two of many possible roles that the shadow may adopt, and are not general guides to interpretation. Also, it can be difficult to identify characters in dreams, so that a character who seems at first to be a shadow might represent some other complex instead.

Jung has also made mention of there being more than one layer making up the shadow. The top layer is the rationally explicable unconscious. It contains material which has been made unconscious artificially; that is, it is made up of elements of one's personal experiences. Underneath this layer, however, is an absolute unconscious that has nothing to do with personal experiences. Jung described this bottom layer as "a psychic activity which goes on independently of the conscious mind and is not dependent even on the upper layers of the unconscious - untouched, and perhaps untouchable - by personal experience" (Campbell, 1971).

According to Jung, the shadow sometimes takes over a person's actions, especially when the conscious mind is shocked, confused, or paralyzed by indecision.

The shadow might be the basis of the rank of Corax (raven) in the ancient religion of Mithraism.

The Anima/animus

The anima/animus personifies the soul, or inner attitude. Following a person's coming to term with their shadow they are then confronted with the problem of the anima/animus. It is usually a persona and often takes on the characteristics of the opposite sex. The anima is said to represent the feminine in men and the animus is the comparable counterpart in the female psyche. The anima may be personified as a young girl, very spontaneous and intuitive, or as a witch, or as the earth mother. It is likely to be associated with deep emotionality and the force of life itself. Jung viewed the anima/animus process as being one of the sources of creative ability.

Anima

The anima according to Carl Jung, is the feminine side of a male's unconscious mind. It can be identified as all the unconscious feminine psychological qualities that a male possesses. In a film interview, Jung was not clear if the anima/animus archetype was totally unconscious, calling it "a little bit conscious" and unconscious. In the interview, he gave an example of a man who falls head over heels in love, then later in life regrets his blind choice as he finds that he has married his own anima–the unconscious idea of the feminine in his mind, rather than the woman herself. The anima is usually an aggregate of a man's mother but may also incorporate aspects of sisters, aunts, and teachers.

Jung also believed that every woman has an analogous animus within her psyche, this being a set of unconscious masculine attributes and potentials. He viewed the animus as being more complex than the anima, as women have a host of animus images while the male anima consists only of one dominant image.

The anima is one of the most significant autonomous complexes of all. It manifests itself by appearing as figures in dreams as well as by influencing a man's interactions with women and his attitudes toward them. Jung said that confronting one's shadow is an "apprentice-piece," while confronting one's anima is the masterpiece. He also had a four-fold theory on the anima's typical development, beginning with its projection onto the mother in infancy, continuing through its projection on prospective sexual partners and the development of lasting relationships, and concluding with a phase he termed Sophia, a Gnostic reference. It is worth noting that Jung applies similar four-fold structures in many of his theories.

In Italian and Spanish, anima is most closely translated as "soul," while in Latin , animus and anima may both be translated as "soul" or "mind," depending on context.

The Animus

According to Carl Jung, the animus is the masculine side of a woman's personal unconscious. It can be identified as all the unconscious masculine psychological qualities that a woman possesses.

Animus is also considered to be that natural and primitive part of the mind's activity and processes remaining after dispensing with persona, which is the "mask" displayed in interactions with others and which has been shaped by socialization. The animus may be personified as a wise old man, a sorcerer, or often a number of males, and tends to be logical, often rationalistic, even argumentative.

Great Mother

Great Mother is the personification of the feminine principle, and represents the fertile womb out of which all life comes and the darkness of the grave to which it returns. Its fundamental attributes are the capacity to nourish and to devour. If the great mother nourishes us, she is good; if she threatens to devour us, she is bad. In psychological terms, the great mother corresponds to the unconscious which can nourish and support the ego or can swallow it up in psychosis or suicide. The positive, creative aspects of the great mother are represented by breast and womb. Mother is the source of life and nurture and the images are nearly inexhaustible: anything hollow, concave or containing, such as bodies of water, the earth itself, caves, dwellings, and vessels of all kinds.

Father

As the great mother pertains to nature, matter and earth, the great father archetype pertains to the realm of light and spirit. It is the personification of the masculine principle of consciousness symbolized by the upper solar region of heaven. From this region comes the wind, pneuma, nous, ruach, which has always been the symbol of spirit as opposed to matter. Sun and rain likewise represent the masculine principle as fertilizing forces which impregnate the receptive earth. Images of piercing and penetration such as phallus, knife, spear, arrow and ray all pertain to the spiritual father. Other symbols which emphasizes the upper heavenly realms are feathers, birds, airplanes and all that refers to flying or height are part of this complex. All imagery involving light or illumination pertain to the masculine principle as opposed to the dark earthiness of the great mother. Illumination of the countenance, crowns, halos and dazzling brilliance of all kinds are aspects of masculine solar symbolism.

The positive aspect of the spiritual father principle conveys law, order, discipline, rationality, understanding and inspiration. Its negative aspect is that it may lead to alienation from concrete reality causing inflation, or a state of spiritual hubris.

Wise Old Man

The image of the wise old man as judge, priest, doctor or elder is a human personification of the father archetype. This is also known as the "Senex", and is an archetype of meaning or spirit. It often appears as grandfather, sage, magician, king, doctor, priest, professor, or any other authority figure. It represents insight, wisdom, cleverness, willingness to help, moral qualities. His appearance serves to warn of dangers, provide protective gifts such as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. As with the other archetypes the wise old man also possesses both good and bad aspects. It is also a classic literary figure, and may be seen as a stock character.

In works of fiction, this kind of character is typically represented by a kind and wise, older father-type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world, to help tell stories and offer guidance, that in a mystical way illuminate to his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become.

The Wise Old Man is often in some way "foreign," that is, from a different culture, nation, or - occassionally - time than those he advises.

The Wise Old Man is found in mythology:

The Trickster

The trickster is an example of a Jungian Archetype. The Fool survives in modern playing cards as the Joker. In modern literature the trickster survives as a character archetype, not necessarily supernatural or divine, therefore better described as a stock character.

In later folklore, the trickster is incarnated as a clever, mischievous man or creature, who tries to survive the dangers and challenges of the world using trickery and deceit as a defense. For example many typical fairy tales have the King who wants to find the best groom for his daughter by ordering several trials. No brave and valiant prince or knight manages to win them, until a poor and simple peasant comes. With the help of his wits and cleverness, instead of fighting, he evades or fools monsters and villains and dangers with unorthodox manners. Therefore the most unlikely candidate passes the trials receives the reward. More modern and obvious examples of that type are Bugs Bunny and The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) (see below).

For a modern humanist study of the trickster archetypes and their effects on society and its evolution, see Trickster Makes The World: Mischief, Myth, and Art by Lewis Hyde.

In the study of mythology, folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, human hero or anthropomorphic animal. The trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects. Often, the rule-breaking takes the form of tricks (eg. Eris) or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both; they are often very funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks.

In many cultures, (as may be seen in Greek, Norse or Slavic folktales, along with Native American/First Nations lore), the trickster and the culture hero are often combined. To illustrate: Prometheus, in Greek mythology, stole fire from the gods to give it to humans. He is more of a culture hero than a trickster. In many Native American and First Nations mythologies, the coyote (Southwestern United States) or raven (Pacific Northwest and coastal British Columbia) stole fire from the gods (stars or sun) and are more tricksters than culture heroes. This is primarily because of other stories involving these spirits: Prometheus was a Titan, whereas coyote and raven are usually seen as jokesters and pranksters.

Tricksters in Mythology

  • Abenaki mythology ... Azeban
  • Akan mythology ... Kwaku Ananse
  • American folklore ... Brer Rabbit and Aunt Nancy, a corruption of Anansi (Ananse)
  • Ashanti mythology ... Ananse
  • Australian Aboriginal mythology ... Bamapana
  • Aztec mythology ... Tezcatlipoca
  • Basque mythology ... San Martin Txiki
  • Brazilian folklore ... Saci-Pererê
  • Celtic mythology ... Fairy, Puck
  • Chinese mythology ... Nezha, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King)
  • Chippewa mythology ... Nanabozho
  • Judeo-Christian ... Jacob
  • Crow mythology ... Awakkule, Mannegishi
  • French folklore ... Reynard the Fox
  • Fijian mythology ... Ndauthina
  • German folklore ... Till Eulenspiegel
  • Greek mythology ... Eris, Prometheus, Hephaestos, Hermes Trismegistus, Odysseus (example of a human trickster, who manages to evade dangers thanks to his wits. The cyclops Polyphemus is an example of this)
  • Haida mythology ... Nankil'slas (Raven spirit), (Coyote)
  • Hawaiian mythology ... Kappa, Maui
  • Hopi and Zuni mythology ... Kokopelli
  • Indonesian folklore ... Kantjil
  • Inuit mythology ... Amaguq
  • Japanese mythology ... Kitsune, Susanoo
  • !Xũ mythology ... Mantis
  • Lakota mythology ... Iktomi
  • Navajo mythology ... Tonenili
  • Nootka mythology ... Chulyen, Guguyni
  • Norse mythology ... Loki
  • Northwest Caucasian mythology ... Sosruko
  • Ojibwe mythology ... Nanabush
  • Polynesian mythology ... Iwa, Kaulu, Maui, Ono, Pekoi
  • Tibetan folklore ... Agu Tonpa
  • Ute mythology ... Cin-an-ev
  • Vodun ... Ti Malice, Baron Samedi
  • Yoruba mythology ... Eshu


The symbols of the unconscious abound in Jungian psychology:

  • The Syzygy (Divine Couple, e.g. Aeons)
  • The Child (examples: Linus van Pelt)
  • The Superman (the Omnipotent)
  • The Hero (examples: Siegfried, Beowulf, Doc Savage, Luke Skywalker, Thomas A. Anderson ("Neo"), Harry Potter)
  • The Great Mother manifested either as the Good Mother or the Terrible Mother (examples: Glinda, Good Witch of the North)
  • The Wise Old Man (examples: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Miyagi (from the Karate Kid movies))

Archetypes in Literature

Architypes are often discussed in literature. William Shakespeare, for example, is known for popularizing many archetypal characters. Although he based many of his characters on existing archetypes from fables and myths, Shakespeare's characters stand out as original by their contrast against a complex, social literary landscape. More recently, the wise old man archetype can be found as Thufir Hawat from Dune, or Oogruk, in Gary Paulsen's novel Dogsong. Sometime the wise old wizard may be a wise old witch, as Moiraine Damodred from The Wheel of Time novels. The trickster archetype is found in Arsene Lupin the gentleman thief from Maurice Leblanc's novel series of the same name.

Archetypes in popular culture

As with other psychologies which have infiltrated mass thought, archetypes are now incorporated into popular culture, such as movies, video games, comics or tv programs. Here are a few examples.

Wise Old Man

  • Albus Dumbledore from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
  • Auron from Final Fantasy X
  • Gandalf from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series
  • Allanon from Terry Brooks' Shannara series
  • Brom from Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy.
  • Elminster from the Forgotten Realms RPG setting
  • Methuselah and Abbot Mortimer from Brian Jacques' novel Redwall. Both are mice.
  • Press Tilton from the Pendragon series
  • Professor X from the X-Men
  • Ancient One from Doctor Strange
  • Morpheus from The Matrix
  • Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn from the Star Wars films.
  • Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid
  • Rafiki from The Lion King

Trickster

Modern day tricksters

  • Brer Rabbit
  • Bugs Bunny
  • Bart Simpson from The Simpsons
  • Kyprioth, also known as the Trickster is the patron god of the Copper (or Kyprin) In Tamora Pierce's fantasy novels about Tortall
  • Plastic Man comic artist Jack Cole's shapeshifting superhero.
  • Q from Star Trek*Mr. Mxyzptlk, an implike tormentor of Superman
  • Jerry Mouse from Tom & Jerry
  • Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  • The Trickster, a supervillain in the DC Universe who has been both an ally and an enemy of The Flash.
  • Matrim Cauthon from the Wheel of Time fantasy book series.
  • The Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's famous silent film character.
  • The Riddler DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman

Archetypal symbols

Archetypal Symbols

These are too many even to begin to be comprehensive, but here are a few (and this is not to say the images and themes above are not symbolic; they are).

The Mandala, a circle, often squared, can also symbolize the wholeness of the Self or the yearning for such wholeness.

Light/Darkness (the conscious and the unconscious), Water or wetness/Dryness or the desert, Heaven/Hell, Trees, Rocks, Dirt, Flowers, Animals of all kinds (insects, birds, fish, mammals), etc., etc. Birds, for instance, often symbolize the spirit (e.g., the Holy Spirit as a dove), but could symbolize many other things, as, for example, fear and destruction (e.g., in the Hitchcock movie, The Birds), courage, wisdom, etc. For many American Indians, the eagle is a particularly sacred symbol. By definition, a symbol has an infinitive number of possible meanings. The trickster, as I point out above, often appears as an animal, as does the vampire.

Caves can symbolize the unconscious, as can bodies of water, the forest, night, the moon, etc. These tend to be feminine symbols as well, just as anything that encloses or nourishes, depending on the context, can be a feminine symbol.

In addition to light, the sky, the sun, the eyes, etc., can symbolize consciousness. Although, as Freud is said to have remarked, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes it is indeed a phallic symbol, as are other items, depending on the context, whose lengths are much longer than their widths.

Enneagram character archetypes

Archetypes can be understood through character via the Enneagram. Proponents of this view state that this can help people define archetypes in their interactions with others.

There is research that shows the correlation between the MBTI and Enneagrams: http://tap3x.net/EMBTI/journal.html


File:Enneagram.gif
The Enneagram Figure

The Enneagram (or Enneagon) is a nine-pointed diametric figure which is used to indicate the dynamic ways that aspects of things and processes are connected and change.

These days the Enneagram figure's most well-known use is in indicating a dynamic model of nine distinct yet interconnected psychological types (usually called 'personality types' or 'character types'). These types can be understood as unconsciously developing from nine distinct archetypal patterns.

As a typology model it is often called the Enneagram of Personality but it is usually only called the Enneagram. This can cause confusion with the other ways in which the Enneagram figure is used.

Although usually understood as being a personality typology others understand it as a model of archetype-based character types. The theoretical distinctions between 'personality' and 'character' requires more clarification by those who make them.

Contemporary ways of understanding and describing the Enneagram of Personality have developed from various traditions of spiritual wisdom and modern psychological insight. Whilst many people understand the Enneagram principally in spiritual or mystical ways others understand it primarily in psychological terms.

The diametric figure

The term 'enneagram' derives from the Greek words 'ennea' (nine) and 'gramma' (something written or drawn). The figure can also be called an 'enneagon'. The usual form of the Enneagram figure consists of a circle with nine points on its circumference equally spaced with one at the top and numbered clockwise from 1 to 9 starting with 1 at the point one position clockwise from the top-most point and ending with 9 at the top-most point. An equilateral triangle joins points 3, 6, and 9, and an irregular hexagon joins the remaining six points. The lines forming the sides of the hexagon join the points numbered, in sequence, 1, 4, 2, 8, 5, 7, 1, which are the sequence of digits in the decimal representation of the fraction 1/7.

Historical development

It is sometimes speculated that forms of the Enneagram typology can be found in ancient sources, especially within the Sufi spiritual tradition, or that the Enneagram figure is possibly a variant of the Chaldean Seal from the times of Pythagoras. Although there may be some truth to this, there does not appear to be any hard evidence to support such speculations.

It seems that the Enneagram figure's first definitely established use (at least in its most common form of the triangle and hexagon) is found in the writings of the Greek-Armenian spiritual teacher G.I. Gurdjieff (died 1949) and his Russian-born student P. D. Ouspensky. The teaching tradition established by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (which is still continued by various other teachers and schools) is called the Fourth Way.

Gurdjieff's teachings were heavily influenced by his personal experience with Sufism as well as Orthodox Christianity and Buddhism. Even though some of the principal ways of understanding the Enneagram have come from the Fourth Way tradition there does not seem to be any clear evidence that he used the Enneagram figure as a typological model (at least not in the popular contemporary form).

One student of Fourth Way teachings, John G. Bennett, developed the idea of the Enneagram as part of a wider study that he named Systematics. This is unrelated to personality as such, but can be applied to transformative processes (see Bennett's book, Enneagram Studies, and Anthony Blake's book, The Intelligent Enneagram and Enneagram of Process). This use of the Enneagram has been applied to understanding and improving the functioning of groups, particularly in a business context (see Richard N. Knowles' book, The Leadership Dance).

Another branch of the application of the Enneagram is focused on different body types (see Joel Friedlander's book Body Types: The Enneagram of Essence Types, or Susan Zannos' book Human Types: Essence and the Enneagram).

The figure's use for a typological model is first clearly found in the teachings of Bolivian-born Oscar Ichazo (born 1931) and his system called 'Protoanalysis'. Ichazo first taught his understanding of the Enneagram (or the 'Enneagon' as it is usually called in his teachings) to students in Arica, Chile in the 1960s and later in the United States through his Arica Institute.

Much of popular Enneagram teaching has, however, been principally developed - directly or indirectly - from the teachings of the Chilean-born psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo who first learned the basics of the Enneagram from Ichazo in Arica.

It was principally from Naranjo that the Enneagram became established in the United States. His Enneagram teaching was further developed by many others teachers including a number of Jesuit priests and seminarians at Loyola University in Chicago.

Popular authors such as Helen Palmer, Don Richard Riso, Richard Rohr, and spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear have also contributed significantly to the spread of Enneagram teaching in the United States and internationally.

There are, however, some significant differences between Palmer, Riso and other Enneagram theorists in their interpretation and approach. Some Enneagram teachers (such as Riso) have developed and promoted theories that have not been generally accepted.

The nine types

The nine Enneagram types are often given names that indicate some distinctive behavioral aspect, though these labels are insufficient to capture the nuances of the type concerned.

Some examples are as follows. (For convenience, the corresponding deadly sin is indicated in square brackets: see below).

  • One: Reformer, Critic, Perfectionist [Anger]. This type focuses on integrity. Ones can be wise, discerning and inspiring in their quest for the truth. They also tend to dissociate themselves from their flaws and can become hypocritical and hyper-critical, seeking the illusion of virtue to hide their own vices. The One's greatest fear is to be flawed and their ultimate goal is perfection. (Alternative One description)
  • Two: Helper, Giver, Caretaker [Pride]. Twos, at their best, are compassionate, thoughtful and astonishingly generous; they can also be prone to passive-aggressive behavior, clinginess and manipulation. Twos want, above all, to be loved and needed and fear being unworthy of love. (Alternative Two description)
  • Three: Achiever, Performer, Succeeder [Deceit]. Highly adaptable and changeable. Some walk the world with confidence and unstinting authenticity; others wear a series of public masks, acting the way they think will bring them approval and losing track of their true self. Threes fear being worthless and strive to be worthwhile. (Alternative Three description)
  • Four: Romantic, Individualist, Artist [Envy]. Driven by a fear that they have no identity or personal significance, Fours embrace individualism and are often profoundly creative. However, they have a habit of withdrawing to internalize, searching desperately inside themselves for something they never find and creating a spiral of depression. The stereotypical angsty musician or tortured artist is often a stereotypical Four. (Alternative Four description)
  • Five: Observer, Thinker, Investigator [Avarice]. Believing they are only worth what they contribute, Fives have learned to withdraw, to watch with keen eyes and speak only when they can shake the world with their observations. Sometimes they do just that. Sometimes, instead, they withdraw from the world, becoming reclusive hermits and fending off social contact with abrasive cynicism. Fives fear incompetency or uselessness and want to be capable above all else. (Alternative Five description)
  • Six: Loyalist, Devil's Advocate, Defender [Fear]. Sixes long for stability above all else. They exhibit unwavering loyalty and responsibility but are prone to extreme anxiety and passive-aggressive behavior. Their greatest fear is to lack support and guidance. (Alternative Six description)
  • Seven: Enthusiast, Adventurer, Materialist [Gluttony]. Eternal Peter Pans, Sevens flit from one activity to another. Above all they fear being unable to provide for themselves. At their best they embrace life for its varied joys and wonders and truly live in the moment; but at their worst they dash frantically from one new experience to another being too scared of disappointment to enjoy what they have. (Alternative Seven description)
  • Eight: Leader, Protector, Challenger [Lust]. Eights worry about self-protection and control. Natural leaders, capable and passionate but also manipulative, ruthless and willing to destroy anything and everything in their way. Eights seek control over their own life and their own destiny and fear being harmed or controlled by others. (Alternative Eight description)
  • Nine: Mediator, Peacemaker, Preservationist [Sloth]. Nines are ruled by their empathy. At their best they are perceptive, receptive, gentle, calming and at peace with the world. On the other hand they prefer to dissociate from conflicts and indifferently go along with others' wishes or simply withdraw, acting via inaction. They fear the conflict caused by their ability to simultaneously understand opposing points of view and seek peace of mind above all else. (Alternative Nine description)

Wings

To some extent the personality issues and traits of the nine Enneagram types can be understood as 'overlapping' around the circle. Observation suggests, for example, that Type One people will also tend to manifest some of the characteristics of either or both Type Nine and Type Two. The two types on each sides of a person's principal type are usually called the 'Wings'. This aspect of Enneagram theory was first suggested by Claudio Naranjo and then further developed by Jesuit teachers. Some Enneagram theorists do not give much or any importance to the Wing concept.

Some theorists believe that one Wing will always be more dominantly active in someone's personality dynamics but others believe that both Wings can be active depending on life circumstances.

Stress & security points

The internal lines of the triangle and hexagon indicate what are called 'Stress Points' and 'Security Points'.

In Don Riso's teachings the lines also indicate what he calls the 'directions of integration' to healthier psychological states and the 'directions of disintegration' to unhealthy psychological states.

The sequence of stress points is 1-4-2-8-5-7-1 for the hexagon and 9-6-3-9 for the triangle, whereas the security points sequence is in the opposite direction (1-7-5-8-2-4-1 and 9-3-6-9). These sequences are found in the repeating decimals resulting from division by 7 and 3, respectively, both of those numbers being important to Gurdjieff's system. (1/7 = 0.1428571...; 1/3 = 0.3333..., 2/3 = 0.6666..., 3/3 = 0.9999...).

These sequences or directions are often indicated on the Enneagram figure by the use of arrows on the lines of the triangle and hexagon (as in the example in this article above).

The traditional understanding of the stress and security points is that when people are in a more secure or relaxed state they will also tend to express aspects of the connected type in one 'direction' of their particular sequence and the other 'direction' when in a more stressed state. A relaxed One, for instance, will tend to manifest some more positive aspects of the Seven personality type (which makes sense, as Ones tend to be highly self-inhibitory, whereas Sevens give themselves permission to enjoy the moment). On the other hand, a stressed One begins to express some more negative aspects of the Four personality (particularly the obsessive introspection; they also share a certain amount of self-loathing and self-inhibition).

Another common understanding is that people may access and express both the positive and negative aspects of both type points depending on their particular circumstances.

Instinctual subtypes

Each type also has three main instinctual subtypes - the Self-Preservation, Sexual and Social subtypes.

  • Self-Preservation subtypes focus on personal survival and well-being.
  • Sexual subtypes focus on intimacy and one-to-one relationships.
  • Social subtypes focus on others, groups and community.

Ego-fixations & deadly sins

The Enneagram types have also been correlated with the traditional Seven Deadly Sins plus two additional descriptors - 'deceit' and 'fear'. The '7 sins + 2' need to be understood in a much more specific meaning than usual.

  • One – Anger

Anger as a frustration in working hard to do things right, while the rest of the world doesn't care about doings things right and doesn't appreciate the sacrifice and effort made.

  • Two – Pride

Pride as a self-inflation of ego, in the sense of seeing themselves as indispensable to others - they have no needs yet the world needs them.

  • Three – Deceit

Deceit in the misrepresentation of self by marketing and presenting an image valued by others rather than presenting an authentic self.

  • Four – Envy

Envy of someone else reminds this individual that they can never be what the other person is, reawakening a sense of self-defectiveness.

  • Five – Avarice

Avarice in the sense of hoarding resources in an attempt to minimize needs from a world that takes more than it gives, thus isolating oneself from the world.

Fear often in the form of a generalized anxiety that can't find an actual source of fear yet may wrongly identify one through projection, possibly seeing enemies and danger where there are none.

  • Seven – Gluttony

Gluttony not in the sense of eating too much, but instead, of sampling a taste of everything the world has to offer (breadth) and not taking the time for richer experience (depth).

  • Eight – Lust

Lust in the sense of wanting more of what this individual finds stimulating to the point that most people would feel overwhelmed and say too much.

  • Nine – Sloth

Sloth or laziness in discovering a personal agenda and instead choosing the less problematic strategy of just going along with others' agenda.

Research issues

Because of differences among teachers in their understanding of the personality characteristics of the nine types and more theoretical aspects of Enneagram dynamics, some skeptics argue that more research needs to be done to test the Enneagram as an empirically valid typology.

Whilst some believe that the research already done has not given support to the Enneagram's validity (especially concepts of the Wings or the Stress and Security Points) others believe that by its somewhat complex and 'spiritual' nature the Enneagram typology is too difficult to test by conventional empirical methods.

Recently published research (2005) based on a type indicator questionnaire developed by Don Riso and Russ Hudson [1] claims to have demonstrated that the nine Enneagram types are "real and objective".

In addition, a partially finished book entitled "Personality and the Brain" was posted for free download in December 2005. This book, written by a self-described "hacker", presents a model for linking the Enneagram to the current findings of neuroscience regarding prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala asymmetry. If this model proves correct, the Enneagram will enjoy direct validation. However, at present, the model is merely one layperson's hypothesis.


Criticism

Many psychologists and scientists regard the Enneagram as a pseudoscience that uses an essentially arbitrary set of personality dimensions to make its characterizations. Lacking falsifiability, the claims of Enneagram theorists cannot be verified using the conventional empirical scientific method. In this respect it is not considered to be any different from many other typological models such as that of Carl Gustav Jung's on which the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based.

The Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Church has also expressed concerns about the Enneagram when used in a religious context because it is claimed that it "introduces an ambiguity in the doctrine and the life of the Christian faith". [2]

Further reading

  • Campbell, Joseph, ed. The Portable Jung, Translated by R.F.C. Hull, New York: Penguin Books, 1971.
  • Johnson, Robert A., Owning Your Own Shadow : Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche, 128 pages, Harper San Francisco, 1993, ISBN 0062507540
  • Johnson, Robert A., Inner Work : Using Dreams and Creative Imagination for Personal Growth and Integration, 241 pages, Harper San Francisco, 1989, ISBN 0062504312

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • 'The Enneagram Made Easy'; Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele, 1994, ISBN 0062510266
  • 'The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life'; Helen Palmer, 1991, ISBN 0062506838
  • 'The Enneagram in Love and Work: Understanding Your Intimate and Business Relationships'; Helen Palmer, 1996, ISBN 0062507214
  • 'The Wisdom of the Enneagram'; Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson, 1999, ISBN 0555378201
  • 'Facets Of Unity: The Enneagram Of Holy Ideas '; A. H. Almaas, Shambhala Books, ISBN 0936713143
  • 'My best self: Using the Enneagram to free the soul'; Hurley, Kathleen V. 1993, ISBN 8572720669
  • 'Self-Realization and The Enneagram'; Eli Jaxon-Bear, 2005, ASIN: B000B5KX10 (DVD)
  • C. G. Jung, Gerhard Adler, R. F.C. Hull. Aion (Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.9 Part 2). Bollingen, 1979. ISBN 069101826X

External links

D. 'Archetypal Theory and Criticism' *[3]

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