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Energy psychology is also an energy typology and in this way it is related to CG Jung’s typology, the Enneagram, Astrology and all the various typologies that attempt to account for the differences we see among people.
By Søren Hauge and Kenneth Sørensen
This is a short article about typology and you are probably already familiar with other typologies that explain the differences that arise between different people. Who does not know situations like these:
Energy Psychology’s 14 Personality Types and Their Motivation
Energy Psychology’s 14 Personality Types
Sofie and Rune are lovers and love each other very much. But their relationship is not without its problems, because Sofie is dedicated and passionate, and she is extremely hurt that Rune, who is mentally ill and a nerdy technician, does not share her interest in helping the socially disadvantaged.
But the energy typology takes you beyond the general psychological issues we all encounter in the workplace and the social circles we find ourselves in. The question is whether you also know this situation:
Lene has everything, a good family, a house and a job she is happy with. Yet she is sad. Despite her personal abundance, she lacks meaning and a higher harmony – life bores her, and it makes her unhappy. Now she is looking for what is missing… meaning!
Lene is in a classic existential crisis that characterizes many modern people. The energy typology takes this crisis into account because it distinguishes between the personality type that controls personal life and the one that colors the spiritual – the essence type. In other words, we have a soul path, which means that we must develop a greater awareness of our place in the larger spiritual whole. This path is not the same for all of us – but your soul energy type gives you an important clue. The energy typology provides some tools to help you better assess who you are and where you are heading, as a person in conscious development. Read the article: The seven soul paths .
The reflective reader will probably think: what kind of whole am I supposed to be a part of? We can give you a suggestion. The energy typology is far more than a common typology that simply maps out some personal character traits. It takes you on your life’s journey and gives you a holistic perspective on life. We take the big picture and propose an integral model where your development is put in relation to being and doing, individual and community. A perspective that deals with development from the generally personal to the spiritual, global and cosmic perspective. We humans are part of a larger whole, and only when we have found our place in this whole do we find our life’s mission. Then life makes sense on a deeper, spiritual level. Read more: The energy types in the big perspective.
In other words, your Seven Energy Types unfold within both broad general needs, but also the deeper existential aspects of life. However, it is in everyday life that everything must stand the test. It is in familiar situations and through everyday experiences that we encounter the enormous diversity and the difficulties that it can entail when you do not always ‘fit together’. But it is also here that we are reminded of a diversity that is not only between us. Because within ourselves we have many voices, roles or sides, and we often only use a few sides of ourselves. It can be compared to living in a large house with several floors, where you are content to use very few rooms. We are each a world or a microcosm, and we contain both heaven and earth, and what lies in between. But what do we really know about our facets, and are we unfolding as we are fundamentally meant to?
There is a growing need to understand our human nature, not only biologically, genetically and socially, but also in a deeper spiritual sense as an evolving consciousness. This need is being met with many valuable contributions through new forms of psychology, spirituality and integral philosophy. Energy typology is just such an example, a new effort to present a fascinating map of the spectrum of consciousness, based on experience, as well as ancient wisdom. But it is not just a map. It is also tools, an open invitation for you to explore your world and gain experiences for yourself through exercises, new angles on life and suggestions for concrete action.
Energy psychology is based on ancient wisdom – new insights
A deep and deeply rooted wisdom about human nature goes back a long way. Humanity seems to have always produced seers and wise men and women who presented a greater perspective on life, consciousness, and the deepest being. Throughout the ages, various cultures have seen the emergence of enlightened people who shed new light on our understanding of ourselves, not just as a species, but as individual expressions of something spiritual. Some of the insights, preserved in cultures and traditions, have particularly described the facets of consciousness as expressions of a deeper unity.
A special aspect of this wisdom about the spiritual and psychological constitution of man is expressed in the manifold typologies that humanity has developed. The wisdom of astrology about the twelve-fold zodiac and its signs is such an example of deep, psychological wisdom. A very simple typology is found in the doctrine of the four temperaments , which have relations to the four elements, earth, water, air and fire. Another simple, very clear and deep insight is the Indian understanding of the three basic states of matter, the gunas , which are reflected in consciousness as tamas (inertia), rajas (movement) and sattva (rhythm).
In more recent times, psychologist Carl Gustav Jung reformulated the wisdom of the four temperaments into his archetypal psychological types (sensing, intuition, thinking, and feeling—each in their introverted and extroverted states), published in his 1921 book of the same title. Later, a related, expanded version became well-known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator , which describes 16 possible psychological types. Another profound understanding of the spectrum of human nature is the Enneagram , which comes primarily from George I. Gurdjieff, Oscar Ichazo, and Claudio Naranjo, but also has references to ancient wisdom traditions. In more recent times, medical research has also developed various typologies to categorize pathology. The ICD-10 and DSM-IV, so well-known in psychiatric circles, are attempts to categorize pathological symptoms to aid in the treatment of disorders.
There are other significant systems and paths to understanding the spectrum of human nature, and they all offer significant insights and practical tools. If you look closely at them, they all seem to be based on fundamental observations of the threefold and fourfold structures of consciousness. Energy psychology builds on the same basic patterns that have been recognized for millennia. But we also offer new insights and provide maps and tools for greater understanding and self-awareness, just as we use a multidimensional path to understanding reality, a depth perspective that is greatly needed if human types are to be seen in a spiritual context.
Our original inspiration comes from esoteric psychology, the teaching of the seven rays , as known from the writings of Alice A. Bailey, a comprehensive life’s work that was adapted and greatly simplified by the Italian psychiatrist, Roberto Assagioli, in his book, Typology of Psychosynthesis . There are many other books on the seven rays, but in our opinion the unsurpassed work is the two volumes entitled Tapestry of the Gods by Michael D. Robbins. We acknowledge his pioneering work and thank him for the great importance he has for our own work in this field. In addition, we are greatly indebted to Roberto Assagioli’s psychosynthesis, the Spiral Dynamics understanding developed by Clare Graves and especially Don Beck, and Ken Wilber’s integral thinking, as well as being inspired by figures such as Sri Aurobindo, Lucille Cedercrans, Geoffrey Hodson, and David Spangler. A bibliography is provided at the end of this article.
Why seven energy types?
It is an obvious and completely understandable question to wonder why we present the energy types as a seven-fold palette. One could imagine completely different divisions that gave a larger or smaller spectrum. Why seven? In short, we can say that we believe the seven-fold spectrum is a meaningful matrix for the nature of consciousness for several reasons.
We take three fundamental functions in particular as our starting point: will, feeling and thought . Our conscious palette and functional spectrum unfold from these three aspects, and it is in the combination of them that we get the four other psychological functions: imagination, logic, desire and action . The three basic functions can be combined two by two in three different ways, and once together. This logically gives us seven in total. Neither more nor less. It can be said that simply. The seven basic functions have their transpersonal counterparts in the higher octaves of consciousness. Esoteric psychology provides a more cosmological perspective on the origin of the seven types, and this is briefly discussed in the article: The energy types in the big picture.
That said, it is of course thought-provoking to see how the septenary can be seen in the holistic understanding and symbolism of many different cultures and spiritual traditions. The teaching about the seven basic forces in the cosmos is not new. In different cultures, this insight has been expressed in many different ways, but all are recognizable and show different angles towards the same spiritual wisdom. The ancient Persians’ teaching about the seven Amesha Spenta , which permeate the universe and characterize all living things, corresponds to the Jewish esoteric Kabbalah, which describes the universe as a tree of life with ten sefirot or names, of which three are origins and the seven subsequent unfoldings from this origin.
The Indian teachings of the seven rishis, the seven-fold lotus, are also paths into the seven-fold teaching. They also speak of seven lokas (planes of existence), seven chakras (energy centers) in man, and for example seven horses that pull the chariot of the sun god Surya. In Christianity, there is a hint of the teaching in the description of the work of the seven archangels and the seven spirits before the throne of God , who shine over creation. We also encounter the seven-fold division in, for example, the seven deadly sins (anger, greed, envy, sloth, pride, fornication and gluttony), the seven cardinal virtues (faith, hope, love, wisdom, justice, courage and temperance), the seven ages of life (among others mentioned by Shakespeare), the seven liberal arts (artes liberales), the seven classical planets , the seven-part tonal scale , the seven days of the week and the seven classical spectral colors .
The Bible is full of sevenfold symbolism, for example the seven days of creation , the seven-branched candlestick , the seven churches , the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven lean and fat years , but also in other cultures the number seven is surrounded by special mystery and significance. The Pleiades are called the Seven Star or the Seven Sisters and the seven largest stars of the Big Dipper are very well known . We know the expression seven-mile boots and seven-sleepers and last but not least – not to forget the fact of reaching the seventh heaven . The Mithraic cult had seven altars and seven mysteries . The seven wonders of antiquity are another example, and we could go on for a very long time. The examples only serve to point out that the special significance of the sevenfold is not a new invention, but seems to illustrate a number and a constellation that has been universally perceived and of great importance.
No human is a type
One cannot say that a person is a type. That would be to reduce us to one-dimensional stereotypes without interest. We all contain, each in our own way, the full spectrum of psychological functions, and thus the entire palette of energy types. When we work with the energy types, we always have the whole in mind, and that is also why each energy type (energis = wholeness) is a key to wholeness and an expression of wholeness. We are interested in the particular dominances and prominent expressions that the individual person displays in different ways and levels. Each person is a complete rainbow, but certain colors stand out and give a special character to it, which makes it more unique. We therefore search for both the unique and the universal wholeness in the individual person, as well as on a collective scale.
The study of energy types is part of a special branch called differential psychology , an exploration of how individuals and groups exhibit different behaviors and psychology. What is special is that the study of energy types adds a spiritual and evolutionary perspective to human growth. Unique to the way typology is usually worked with, energy typology distinguishes between different types within five different vertical areas: the body, emotions, thoughts, the integrated personality, and the soul.
This creates a clear evolutionary direction aimed at realizing the soul’s energy type. The first three energy types we develop in connection with the stages that normal developmental psychology normally treats from child to adult. They color the dominant characteristics of the ordinary person. The energy type that arises when a person enters into character as an integrated personality colors the mature and self-aware person. The soul’s energy type gives the special qualities that the spiritually awakened person begins to realize when he begins to develop his higher spiritual possibilities.
Although typologies often attempt to categorize specific, individual traits, they carry certain dangers when applied too inflexibly, leading only to an oversimplification of understanding. No typology can fully capture the individual and unique psychological patterns we exhibit and embody. This limitation reminds us of the necessity of using many complementary psychological methods, and only the totality of methods of inner reflection and outer assessment can provide an adequate picture of who or what the individual or group is. It is always important to remember that a human being is a subject , never an object. However, energy typology largely avoids the dangers of diagnosis and categorization by continuously emphasizing the whole and working with multiple levels of consciousness.
Typologies have many values if used wisely. One of the prominent values is the experience of self-acceptance and clarity that arises when we discover our type dominances in one or more areas. We are often so preoccupied with false identifications, based on influences from our environment, that our self-perception becomes blurred and confused, and this leads to many personal and social conflicts. The recognition and perception of a dominant keynote or character in our psychological equipment can make a colossal difference. We become aware of our particular potentials and challenges, and can now act on it.
A good typology can also provide insight into the motivations behind behavior that we initially find strange or even threatening. Many social conflicts are often based on misunderstandings and a lack of understanding of the driving forces behind the conflicts. A good typology creates a foundation of knowledge that helps facilitate our interpretation of social situations that we find particularly challenging. For example, a soft and sensitive-feeling type can find inner security in understanding the typology when they encounter the will-dominated types and their tendency to assert themselves. It is much easier for a sensitive type to accept the ‘unpleasant’ influence from a more ‘fiery’ type when the behavior is understood as something that is natural to the other, and not necessarily an attack. This helps the sensitive type to disidentify from the influence so that it is not taken so personally. From the more understanding and unbound perspective, greater wisdom can be acted upon.
The whole in the parts – the parts in the whole
Understanding the energy types is only possible if one remembers the meaning of the name. Energy types mean whole types. The reason is simple, because we want to emphasize that each type is a whole in itself, and it becomes whole through its relationships to the other types. Understanding the types here is not a question of finding out which of the types ‘one is’, but rather of getting the key to wholeness by discovering where the dominant and receding energy types are in relation to each other.
The energy types are interdependent and are each in their own way dialects of the whole . And in reality, there are not only three basic functions (will, feeling and thought) that become seven (imagination, logic, desire and action), but actually fourteen energy types or personality types. When you summarize it with the fact that the types exist on 5 psychological levels, of which the body, emotions, thoughts and personality are dual, while on the essence level we only work with seven variations, then we get a large spectrum to play with: 14x14x14x14x7 = 268,712 combinations.
Integration work within and between the energy types, both horizontally and vertically, and in relation to oneself and others, provides deeper keys to what is meant by wholeness and growth. In this process, we learn not only to appreciate the richness of the individual energy type, but also – and not least – to grow in understanding the total spectrum. In this way, our connectedness with the world increases, and we grow in scope and depth humanly, because we recognize and equate the total spectrum, and not just our preferred specialties and special talents.
It has profound effects on our family life, friendships, work life and teamwork, and it gives us a new experience of being a growing consciousness, connected to the world. It becomes a transformative tool on our life path. The wisdom of the energy types is nothing less than a master key to creating wholeness in the parts, and to understanding the parts in the whole.
What people have said
Energy type practice is already a reality. People who have experienced what the universe of energy types means have given us responses like these:
“It is so liberating to discover that I have the sensitive energy type in my emotional life. Now I understand why my oversensitivity is so strong, and why I have been so conflict-averse in my close relationships. My need for closeness, empathy and togetherness has created an excessive dependence on those closest to me, which makes it difficult to bring my independence and desire for freedom through. I now find it easier to understand and accept my sensitivity and can also see how it is a really great benefit in my work as a psychotherapist. I find that it is now easier to handle the fear that the sensitive type has of losing when conflicts arise. It has become more impersonal and therefore easier to deal with.”
“I am so happy to recognize my dynamic energy type on the mental side. I have become more and more tired of small talk, because I get bored so quickly. I used to find that difficult to understand and accept. I now understand much better my tendency to only speak when I have something important to say, and to call a spade a spade. I love direct, clear speech that gets straight to the point. I have also become aware that I need to show more patience with those types who wrap the core of the matter in a – in my opinion – long story (eg the creative energy type). It has also become clear that my thoughts are often expressed very dynamically, which can be perceived as forceful by others – this has its advantages and disadvantages.”
“After taking the identity profile (www.jivayou.com), we met and started the consultation with a meditation to contact our higher self. Next, I was guided through an understanding of myself through the energy types, which has been a huge help and eye-opener in the situation I am in. It finally dawned on me that I did not have to go back, that it was not about stress or burnout, but that I had simply overlooked and suppressed the needs of my soul and the longing of my heart. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot just read things and get a mental understanding. I must bring lived experience into my life and act based on what is right in relation to my actual life aspects.”
Literature
The bibliography is selective and concise
The seven rays
Kurt Abraham: Introduction to the Seven Rays , Lampus Press, 1986
Kurt Abraham: Psychological types and the Seven Rays , Lampus Press, 1983
Kurt Abraham: Balancing the Pairs of Opposites; The Seven Rays and Education; and Other Essays in Esoteric Psychology , Lampus Press, 1993
Kurt Abraham: The Seven Rays and Nations: France and the United States Compared , Lampus Press, 1987
Kurt Abraham: Seven Rays: Frequently Asked Questions , 2011
Kurt Abraham: Techniques of Soul Alignment , 1997
Kurt Abraham: Threefold Method for Understanding the Seven Rays , 2003
Kurt Abraham: Great Souls: The Seven Rays at the soul level , 2002
Douglas Baker: The Seven Rays – Key to the Mysteries , Little Elephant, 1984
Alice A. Bailey: Esoteric Psychology, Volume 1 , EsoterikCenterForlag
Alice A. Bailey: Esoteric psychology, volume 2 , EsoterikCenterForlag
Alice A. Bailey: Esoteric Astrology , EsoterikCenterForlag
Alice A. Bailey: The Rays and Initiation, Esoteric Center Publishing
Lucille Cedercrans: Creative Thinking , Kentaur Forlag, 2008
Lucille Cedercrans: The Soul and Its Tool, Kentaur Forlag, 2008
Lucille Cedercrans: The Nature of the Soul, Sankt AnsgarsForlag, 2004
Geoffrey Hodson: The Seven Human Temperaments , The Theosophical Publishing House, 1987
Zachary F. Lansdowne: The Rays and Esoteric Psychology , Samuel Weiser, 1989
JJ van der Leeuw: The Fire of Creation , The Theosophical Publishing House 1976
Michael D. Robbins: Tapestry of the Gods , Vol. 1 & 2, The University of the Seven Rays Publishing House, New Jersey 1988
Michael D. Robbins: www.makara.us
Lars O. Steffensen & Holger Stavnsbjerg: The Seven Rays and Personality Development. A compendium based on “Tapestry of the Gods” by Michael D. Robbins . Alcyone Publishing, 1994
Ernest Wood: The Seven Rays , The Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton 1984
The typology
Roberto Assagioli : Typology of Psychosynthesis – Seven Paths to Self-Realization, Kentaur Forlag, 2005
Roberto Assagioli : The Psychology of Will, Kentaur Forlag, 2005
Scott Burd: Leader of the Future , 2001
John W. Cullen, Ph.DD: Psychosynthesis Typology and Experience of the Self
John W. Cullen, Ph.D. , & Douglass Russell, LCSW: The Self Actualizing Manager – an Introduction to Managerial Psychosynthesis, International Association for Managerial and Organizational Psychosynthesis, Draft, July 1989.
Piero Ferrucci: Spiritual Highlights , Centaur Publishing, 2007
Søren Hauge: The Journey of Fire , Wiseheart Publishing House, 2012
Kenneth Sørensen: Integral Meditation (formerly The Call of Greatness), Kentaur Forlag, 2017
How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article Psychosynthesis an Integral Psychology and the biography of Roberto Assagioli
Read the introductory article about energy psychology
Read the introductory article about integral meditation
