You’re more intelligent than you might think! 

When we say that someone is intelligent, it is generally accepted that we are referencing their intellectual and reasoning capacity. We’ve been measuring peoples reasoning ability in the form of IQ tests since 1904. However, is it possible that there are multiple forms of intelligence at play in any life form? And if so what do these look like? How do we know which kind of intelligence has been called into play by the organism that we are? This article is written on the premise that we do in fact have three centres of intelligence within us. By using the lens of the Enneagram Framework, we can start to understand how each of these intelligences plays out in our day to day lives. 

Three Centres of Intelligence

Looking through the lens of the Enneagram gives us a way of understanding these three centres. The Enneagram is a dynamic system, which recognizes patterns of thinking, feeling and being throughout 9 different personality types. (If you're new to the Enneagram, read our blog - What is the Enneagram of Personality.

One of the ways in which you can group the 9 Enneagram Types is by head types, heart types and body types, and each of the 9 Enneagram types operates from a predominant centre. Have you ever known someone who you would describe as a cerebral type of person - an academic with a brilliant mind? Or maybe you know someone who shares their heart deeply and openly, perhaps even being seen as too emotional by others? Do you know someone who reacts and responds to the world with action driven by their gut instincts? What you're noticing in these people is the predominance of a particular kind of intelligence at play in the person.

Although we each might favour one centre of intelligence over the others, we all have access to three centres of intelligence. 

The Head Centre

Our head centre, also referred to as the mind or thinking centre is the part of us that engages the full power of the brain. It's also the poster-child of intelligence, colloquially known as IQ. In my lifetime, the intelligence of the mind has been crowned as king. At the risk of reducing such a complex organ as the brain into a few dot points, let’s take a look at some of the ways that the intelligence of the head guides us:

These are all essential for us to succeed in today's world, but when we become over-identified with our head-centre, we can become excessive thinkers and planners. We get caught in imaginary worlds in our minds and even dissociate with reality. This predominance of thought creates an imbalance in our being. But when we are able to balance our thinking - in conjunction with our hearts and bodies - our thinking takes on new, more profound qualities; such as being mentally alert and perceptive to reality, we are able to think positively and trust in ourselves and others and become true visionaries in the world.

Culturally, we are encouraged to grow and develop in our minds, to strive for academia and intellectual success. But at what cost? If intellectual capacity is king, then one would think that it has been granted power over all the bodily constituents? But how equipped is the brain in dealing with matters of the heart? Have you ever tried to think your way out of grief over the death of a loved one? Or tried to reason your way out of a breakup, but couldn't quite squash the assortment of bio-feedback your body was distributing. Such as the heart-ache, anguish, shame, or sadness? These feelings don't disappear simply because one understands these emotions intellectually. The meaning and purpose of such feelings are elucidated by the intelligence of the heart, through allowing the heart to experience life.

The Heart Centre

Our heart centre, also referred to as the emotional or feeling centre is the part of us that engages the full power of the heart. The heart knows the truth; it lets us know the truth of who we really are, our identity. It is also where we can feel a sense of meaning, value, and glory of our existence. When someone says something that is really resonating and true, our heart opens up, we feel deeply connected. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that the intelligence of the heart centre guides us:

Again, these all seem like important things to have access to, to live a healthy and happy life. In fact, studies have shown that emotion suppression may convey risk for earlier death. However, when we become over-identified with our heart-centre, the whole system becomes unbalanced. We become over-identified with our emotional states, leading us to neglect any realities outside of our own emotional experience. Unbalanced heart energies can cause us to become moody, to seek intrusive levels of intimacy, or to become overly conscious of our self-image. When we are able to balance our heart centre in conjunction with our mind and body, the intelligence of the heart guides us in profound ways. We are able to show deep compassion and empathy to ourselves and others, loving unconditionally. We are able to stand in our authenticity, focusing inwardly at our own ambition and we become highly intuitive to others. 

The Body Centre

Our body centre, also referred to as the gut or instinctual centre is the part of us that engages the full power of the physical form and instinctual energy. Our body centre also provides many useful functions. It is concerned with the intelligence of the body; being in the body is a direct experience of our existence. This being is a sense of being alive, being connected, and being one with things. Here’s brief look at some of the ways that the intelligence of the body guides us:

We all need a healthy body to truly thrive in life. When we become over-identified with our body-centre, our system becomes unbalanced. We can begin to use our bodies to dominate our environment and intimidate others to the point that we can become inflexible in our perceptions in the world. When we are able to balance our body centre in coordination with our heart and mind, the intelligence of the body guides us in profound ways. We are able to show restraint, and exchange aggression for assertiveness, we learn to command rather than demand. We engage in our environment whilst being intensely present and conscientious about how we contribute to the world. 

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter what intelligence you preference, you still have all three centres of intelligence.  The question is, do you freely use them all? Are they balanced? The degree at which you are identified with one particular centre of intelligence can be influenced by the degree to which you are aware of your preference.

If you'd like to learn more about how to integrate your three centres of intelligence, join us in one of our Enneagram workshops, or contact us for one-on-one coaching.

We'd love to hear from you.