Enneagram and Brain Chemistry

[The Grand Chameleon]

The Enneagram and Brain Chemistry

 

[redacted]

Don't really buy it.

 

[The Grand Chameleon]

Don't really buy it.

Still theoretical, and not tested to my knowledge. It would be interesting to see the results though, no?

 

[Happyman]

Oh yeah, brain chemistry and Enneagram/MBTI type. According to the tests I've run in high school it's absolutely valid.

With high concentration of alcohol in blood people turn to: ESFPs.
The morning after: ISFJs.

Being an altruistic NF, that I am, I've run the test on my self as well. Repeatedly.

And being serious, it's really interesting, but it's like a step back to Aristotle, who was saying just that. Does enneagram is based on chemistry then? MBTI is all about cognitive functions and it sounds WAY more convincing to me. Though, maybe we define our 'internal chemistry' by our cognitive processes - something like increasing level of endorphins by thinking about shiny rainbows and naked people of opposite (usually) sex .. eh... where was I?

 

[Lexan]

I think this in a very interesting theory, but I'm unsure of it's credibility. I think a lot of this is dependent on the individual, not the type/fixation of the individual. Certain trends may be found in certain types, I think that is very much a possibility, but ultimately the activity of certain neurotransmitters occuring in the brain will depend on the individual. A One won't necessarily have medium seratonin activity, low norepinephrine activity and medium dopamine - nor should it be assumed that s/he does.

This reminds me of how psychiatry is a field that is often put into question - there is no definitive test which determines if a person has a mental illness or not. Any 'definitive' decisions and diagnoses which are made are deduced from observation of the patient's behaviour, but no scientific tests which determine it from brain chemistry or whatnot. This means that determining whether or not this theory is correct is not going to be easy, hence why they haven't done so yet.

Also, I have difficulty believing that Instinctual Variant is the result of environmental factors, instead of just being inherent, especially considering how they've claimed that the Variant is the result of specific circumstances i.e. Sexual Variant people being the product of homes with a 'primary care-giver'. Don't know about that. Still, this is just an assumption I would make from my own experience, further observation and analysis may yield different findings.

We'll see.

 

[FDG]

I believe that the empirical observation about types if we "trichotomize" them on the axes of calmn-high strung, happy-sour, super drive-laid back are accurate, however it's harder to directly link them to brain neurotransmitter activity. It's plausible, though, so if tests were to be performed and the theory was validated, I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[The Grand Chameleon]

Oh yeah, brain chemistry and Enneagram/MBTI type. According to the tests I've run in high school it's absolutely valid.

With high concentration of alcohol in blood people turn to: ESFPs.
The morning after: ISFJs.

Being an altruistic NF, that I am, I've run the test on my self as well. Repeatedly.

Patent this immediately.

I think this in a very interesting theory, but I'm unsure of it's credibility. I think a lot of this is dependent on the individual, not the type/fixation of the individual. Certain trends may be found in certain types, I think that is very much a possibility, but ultimately the activity of certain neurotransmitters occuring in the brain will depend on the individual. A One won't necessarily have medium seratonin activity, low norepinephrine activity and medium dopamine - nor should it be assumed that s/he does.

This reminds me of how psychiatry is a field that is often put into question - there is no definitive test which determines if a person has a mental illness or not. Any 'definitive' decisions and diagnoses which are made are deduced from observation of the patient's behaviour, but no scientific tests which determine it from brain chemistry or whatnot. This means that determining whether or not this theory is correct is not going to be easy, hence why they haven't done so yet.
.

I believe that the empirical observation about types if we "trichotomize" them on the axes of calmn-high strung, happy-sour, super drive-laid back are accurate, however it's harder to directly link them to brain neurotransmitter activity. It's plausible, though, so if tests were to be performed and the theory was validated, I wouldn't be surprised.

I agree with both of you. Perhaps it is capable to know a certain type and from that, roughly estimate the level of neurotransmitters present. But it would be a much more difficult quest to type based on transmitter levels.

As far as psychiatry goes, normality is based on what I imagine to be a bell-shaped curve. Mental illnesses and defects are just the deviants that fall outside of "normal" boundaries. If 99% of the population were bipolar, it would no longer be considered bipolar.

 

[Ezra]

I take issue with this. Allegedly, Sevens have high everything. A lot of Sevens are also ADHD. In fact, a lot of non-Sevens are too. So, given:

Norepinephrine, along with dopamine, has come to be recognized as playing a large role in attention and focus. For people with ADHD, psychostimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin/Concerta), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), and Adderall (a mixture of dextroamphetamine and racemic amphetamine salts) are prescribed to help increase levels of norepinephrine and dopamine

How do you explain those with allegedly high personality-embedded norepinephrine and/or dopamine levels needing drugs to increase these levels?