What are the three
INTELLIGENCE CENTERS
Everyone has all 3 intelligence centers (mind/thinking, heart/feeling, body/sensing) however, one is dominate and very much related to your Enneagram type. Our main intelligence center is grounded in how we initially and habitually process and respond to life. Our dominant intelligence will signal us through thinking, feeling or sensing to the disruption of our essential worth, place, setting and belonging to the world around us. We call these "centers" because they are always at the center of our biggest assets and greatest liabilities. As an example types 8,9,1 are in the body center, meaning the best and worst things about their personality types are due to their instinctual drives. Likewise, heart types 2,3,4 are in the feeling center, which means that the best and worst things about their type are related to feelings and same goes for head types 5,6,7 the best and worst qualities about their type are based on their thought processes and thinking patterns.
"What thoughts am I thinking?"
Head Types, 5,6,7 primarily take in information instinctively through their intellect and have a critical relationship with fear. They use thinking as their primary source of intelligence. Thoughts are a driving force in these types but all in very different ways. They each take in information instinctively through their head center/thinking and then through the process of translating their thoughts they are able to engage the other intelligences doing/sensing and/or feeling.
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TYPE 5: They take in information on an analytically level, their minds are often over-analyzing. While resolving conflict they will usually spend time collecting their thoughts and then responding to conflict in a very rational, thoughtful way. They fear being ignorant, incompetent or loosing their intellectual, physical or emotional resources.
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TYPE 6: They retreat into their mind in an effort to find a sense safety and security. Often circumstances set the precedence for anxiety and insecurity therefore they intellectually seek inner guidance and support. They fear not having enough information and detail, which could make them unsafe or insecure.
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TYPE 7: They escape into activity or anticipation of activity, subconsciously attempting to keep their minds occupied so that the underlying anxiety's and hurts will not surface. Since they are pain avoidant, their intellectual superpower is re-framing. They fear being left without opportunity or experience and/or being limited in anyway. Being limited means they maybe left with sorting through painful feelings, thoughts or circumstances.
"What emotions am I feeling?"
Heart Types, 2,3,4 use feelings as their primary source of intelligence. Emotions are a driving force in these types but all in very different ways. They each take in information instinctively through their heart center/feelings and then through the process of translating their emotions, they are able to engage the other intelligences thinking and/or doing/sensing.
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TYPE 2: They first respond emotionally to everything they encounter, critical thinking and decisive action come second. They have a constant awareness as to how they can meet the needs of others, putting a lot of emotional stock into whether or not people like, approve or appreciate them. Shame, sadness or grief presents itself when the felt sense of approval or appreciation does not meet their expectation.
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TYPE 3: They are disconnected from their feelings however the irony is they still have feelings about everything they encounter, and the reversed response is an emotional one. They are the most image-conscious of all the 9 types and pay constant attention to how they come across in every situation. They feel shame or grief if their projected persona isn't viewed as successful, respectable or of value.
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TYPE 4: They are tuned into their inner emotional landscape first and foremost, then they experience themselves in relationship to the feelings and/or the behaviors of others. They have feelings about everything they encounter, they are the most emotionally intense of all 9 Enneagram types. If they feel misunderstood, which is most of the time, they feel deep shame and sadness, an intense longing to be known and to find that "missing something."
"What sensations am I experiencing?"
The BODY (gut) Center: Type 8,9,1 Use their body (sensate/instinctive experience) as their primary source of intelligence. Action and sensation are a driving force in these types, however it might present itself in very different ways. These types primarily take in information instinctively through their bodies and translate through their senses. After this processing takes place they are then able to use their other intelligences.
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TYPE 8: They have strong emotions, they feel it physically almost more any of the 9 types. They have a strong gut reactions and sensations when they enter new situations to which they heavily rely on their body intuition/intelligence. Some describe their sensations such as anger, is felt much like a "river that's constantly coursing through their whole body. "
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TYPE 9: Their first reaction, even if it's instantaneous, is a physical one. They have strong feelings about what to do, even if they don't always act on it. Anger is a primary motivating factor however 9's are very much asleep to their anger, often ignoring or suppressing their anger because it takes less energy to suppress it, than to act on it.
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TYPE 1: They wrestle with a desire for things to be set right. This means they are physically driven by a strong internal sense of ethics. On the outside they may speak critically when things are not set right, while internally they are burning with a deep anger felt in their body. This anger is not directed at a specific person, place, or thing but is a general anger that the world is not the way it ought to be according to them.