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The History of the Enneagram & The Narrative Enneagram

Who Invented the Enneagram?

Stemming from the Greek words ennea (nine) and grammos (a written or drawn symbol), the Enneagram was borne out of ancient tradition. It was introduced to the modern world in 1915 as a human development system by philosopher and teacher George Gurdjieff. In the late 1960s, Oscar Ichazo, founder of the Arica School, placed nine personality types around the Enneagram diagram.

Soon after, Claudio Naranjo, MD, and other psychologists in Berkeley, CA, integrated the Enneagram with emerging developments in modern psychology. Since the 1970s, the Enneagram has been developed as a modern psychological system by Claudio Naranjo, MD and other psychologists in California, including Helen Palmer and David Daniels, MD. Loyola University in Chicago was also an early center of Enneagram work. Learn more >

2013 interview with Helen Palmer and David Daniels, MD

1970s to Today

Helen and David celebrating

Early 1970s – 1988

Helen Palmer began teaching Enneagram panel workshops in the Narrative Tradition. In 1988, she published The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life, a perennial bestseller available in 26 languages. That same year, she co-founded the Enneagram Professional Training Program (EPTP) with Stanford psychiatrist David Daniels, MD.

1993 – 1994

1993: The Enneagram Association in the Narrative Tradition (EANT) began as a grassroots membership association to support graduates of the EPTP, and over the years evolved into an international community of teachers, students and practitioners.

1994: Following the first International Enneagram conference at Stanford University, we became the first International Enneagram Association (IEA) Accredited Enneagram School and Enneagram Training Program. We have since presented in-person trainings in 29 countries worldwide, and certified more than 1,600 teachers and practitioners.

history with helen and david
2016 eptp

2005 – 2018

2005: From the pioneering days of the EPTP, our organization had evolved into Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition (ESNT). In 2005, we launched our first comprehensive website to offer Enneagram education and promote our curriculum. Now more than half a million visitors from 214 countries visit our website yearly.

2012: Led by our Founding President Terry Saracino, we became an educational nonprofit dedicated to sustaining and promoting the Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition worldwide through a comprehensive curriculum integrating psychology, spirituality and somatics.

2018: ESNT and EANT merged to become The Narrative Enneagram (TNE). Since the merger, our membership has more than tripled. And we expanded our member benefits, including free online monthly Member Gatherings.

2020 – 2022

2020: In response to the global pandemic, we moved our entire curriculum online and registrations increased by 40%. We provided 81 scholarships, many through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) initiative. Co-founder and Core Faculty Helen Palmer announced her retirement.

2021: We expanded our online offerings and certified 46 new Narrative Enneagram Teachers and Practitioners. We invested in updating our internal and public-facing technologies. And our key stakeholders engaged in a year-long DEI training. We also grew faculty capacity by welcoming two new Associate Faculty, Mónica Tinoco and Erlina Edwards.

2022: The Narrative Enneagram became the first International Enneagram Association Accredited School with Distinction. The Arizona Enneagram Association also gifted its core teaching curriculum to TNE, and the AEA teachers became TNE Adjunct Faculty. Former members of the AEA were welcomed into the TNE member community.

Online Enneagram class showing a Zoom screen full of students

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