Women's Voices from around the world - Voice 4
- Hemla Makan-Dullabh
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
The next voice in my series comes from Sweden. My dear friend Annika Lehes and I met when she lived in Palo Alto, and a friend told me, "You have to meet Annika, you are both studying the Enneagram. I think you will have a lot in common." She was right, of course! We met and became dear friends. We took our Enneagram study seriously and started studying aspects of the Enneagram together. Annika had the insight to start an Enneagram Cafe in her living room in Palo Alto and our enneagram study circle expanded. Annika has since moved back to Sweden, and we are still in touch. Recently, Annika attended the Family Constellations and Somatic Enneagram retreat that Marion Gilbert and I hosted at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, it was such a joy to be with her again!
What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a spiritual, psychological, and somatic road map to understanding ourselves in a more "holistic" way. It is about learning to engage with our Inner Observer to understand our true nature. Through learning about the Enneagram and the 9 different types, we learn to break free from the boxes we have unknowingly placed ourselves in. We begin to observe our habits of behavior and the emotional stories that we tell ourselves, in the Enneagram, we call these the Passions.
We also have the mental ruminations and overthinking called our Fixations, and, as the name suggests, we get fixated in nine different ways. The Enneagram helps us to see these patterns of behavior and through meditation and somatic practices, we bring awareness. Our personality is not who we are, it is a construct of our society, our cultures, our families, and our reaction to the expectations that come from these sources. Our work with the Enneagram is to learn to reconnect with the True Nature of who we are. There is, of course, so much more to the Enneagram. I have also studied the Somatic Enneagram with Marion Gilbert and explored and studied the teachings of A.H. Almaas, Sandra Maitri, and the Diamond Approach.
This is a short video from the school I certified with, The Narrative Enneagram, one of my teachers Renee Rosario explains how the Enneagram takes us out of the boxes we are in: https://youtu.be/Zu1tYld8LXc?si=7oMuBqgBJfRINGLF
Here is her story of her journey with the Enneagram in her words:
The Enneagram in different cultures - Sweden
"I have fallen in love with the Enneagram, and I am stuck with the idea of having every single person in the whole world know about this wonderful tool. Just think about it, if we all could be more curious and open-minded when meeting other people who are not always doing, saying, or acting in a way we feel fully comfortable and familiar with. Instead of judging or wanting to change people, we could be open and present to hear and see what they really are saying and doing. Maybe they could even teach us a thing or two.
I first learned about the Enneagram 20 years ago in my home country, Sweden, at a workshop held by Elisabeth Wiktorén. But my continued education in this model has mainly been through schools in the US and the UK. I moved with my family to the US for several years and didn't return to Sweden until 2019, just before the pandemic hit. During the years in the US, I attended training by the Narrative Enneagram School, the Enneagram Institute, and the Enneagram Prison Project, absolutely wonderful schools that taught me so much, especially about myself but also about other people, and to respect, love, and be more curious about our differences.
We are approximately 10 million people in Sweden, this rather large country considering the size of the population. Even though the majority of the population lives in the bigger cities, I believe we have a somewhat lonely way of living. Just looking at the fact that 47% of households have just one occupant, typically a child-free, single adult. Of course, living alone doesn’t always mean being single. But such a definitive figure (compared to 34% in the UK and 27% in the States) shows a normalization of living alone in Sweden.
Adding the climate factor, the cold, wet weather in the winter months combined with the daylight being as little as a couple of hours per day. Maybe we have the right to be a little grumpy and tired, and truly believing it requires quite hard work and great effort to just stay alive I don’t know, of course I am being a little harsh and generalizing here.
From an Enneagram perspective, I believe we have a lot of Enneagram type 6 culture, where we question a lot, especially new, not fully proved concepts. Interestingly, once a norm gains acceptance, the entire country quickly joins in, questioning those who don't participate.
But bringing a tool like the Enneagram to Sweden hasn’t been the easiest. One of the primary challenges lies in Sweden's highly rational and evidence-based approach to new ideas. The Swedish culture places significant value on scientific backing and proven methodologies, which can make it difficult for psychological tools like the Enneagram, which is often considered a spiritual tool, to gain widespread acceptance.
While the Enneagram offers profound insights into human behavior and personal growth, it is not always backed by the kind of empirical evidence that Swedes often demand. As a result, it is sometimes questioned or dismissed, even though its value lies in its ability to teach us deeper self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and connection with others.
Additionally, I believe Sweden tends to have a reserved and pragmatic cultural identity, which can make people sceptical of concepts that lean towards introspection, emotions, or spirituality.
The Enneagram's focus on inner transformation, combined with its roots in both psychology, somatic work, and spirituality, can feel abstract or even uncomfortable to some. For a society that often avoids overly subjective or unproven approaches, the Enneagram may initially seem too ambiguous or ungrounded. That said, there is also a growing curiosity for tools that enhance personal and professional development, as well as mental health and well-being. I believe this can pave the way for the Enneagram, especially when it is presented as a practical psychology tool that aids in a deeper understanding of oneself and others. The key is to meet Swedes where they are, emphasizing the Enneagram’s concrete applications in communication, leadership, and conflict resolution, while gently introducing its deeper spiritual layers for those who are open to exploring them.
I have noticed that many Swedes use the Enneagram more as a complement to their profession, for example, therapists, coaches, or psychologists. It is also more commonly used in corporate settings, focused on team building, communication, and conflict handling, where the spiritual and somatic part is often left out. I guess this is a beneficial way to gently introduce the tool, but it is also sad if it’s not eventually used with its whole depth and potential.
By carefully bridging the gap between Sweden's preference for evidence-based approaches and the Enneagram’s transformative potential, I hope this powerful tool can find its place in the Swedish cultural landscape. I do believe it takes patience, clear communication, and a focus on real-world benefits to overcome initial scepticism and foster genuine interest.
So, I will continue delivering more workshops and lectures and arrange various gatherings to discuss the model more in depth. I truly hope to inspire more people to develop an understanding and curiosity for themselves and other people. This, I hope, will bring more much-needed compassion and love to our world."
Annika Lehes
Certified Enneagram teacher
Opmerkingen