Design Metaphysics: The Enneagram

Composed of three triads the Ennead, or the nine-sided polygon, has been interpreted as being three times more sacred than all other configurations with each triad representing perfection, balance, and order. The highest level of attainment or possibility is where nine becomes the final number, the final form of consciousness in a progressive list of achievement and awareness, i.e. the nth degree.

The word ennead, or the nine (Greek) references an assembly of nine deities and in some early polytheistic religions as being symbolic of a great religious power. A natural number used in the grading of the purity of precious metals, in addition to representing the Emperors of China and various personality types, nine according to Ouspensky is a symbol meant to represent “ … any natural or whole phenomenon, cosmos, process in life or any other piece of knowledge.”

Three times three is an expression of perfection where the power of the “Holy Spirit” completes the divine will, i.e. the desire that emerged from the unknown in order to experience self through the constraints of a designed realm of consciousness. The final simple number and shape to symbolize the manifestation of mind, emotion, spirit and matter in quest of fulfillment and completeness.

The ennead is a systemic expression of harmony as conveyed within a perfected imagination and similarly within the nine choruses of Angels: the Seraphes, Cherubs, Thrones, Dominations, Principlaities, Powers, Virtues, Archangels and ordinary angels. Numerically the “magic square” is made of the first nine numbers that add to 15 in any direction.

4 9 2
3 5 7
8 1 6

The number nine signifies a pivotal point of periodic transition from the completion of one level of consciousness and the beginning of the next. Consciousness and the field in which it has it being, is afforded the opportunity to repeat circumstances, i.e. experiences, or break the cycle and follow a different path. Consciousness is sensitive to the patterns, designs and designations of the field at-large and is always in resonance with a greater field in which it has its being. Options are plenty with micro differences in significance and direction available when consciousness is placed into context.

Like the Muses of ancient Greece, daughters of memory and sources of the imagination, the number nine traditionally described the design process as a cosmic matrix that linked both micro and macro levels of consciousness within the constraints of cyclic behavior.

Design's use of the symbol is the tool used in the creation of relationships between the meaning and purpose of the creator (intention) and what has been made manifest (symbolized). All cognition, reason and emotions are expressed through design, as sacred symbols give form to the energies they represent. Design creates the metaphors that can either unite or destroy life by bringing into manifestation energies that are both visible and invisible.

Nine is the final number and therefore sets the limits where whatever can be attained has been completed and fulfilled. Nine signifies that consciousness has reached a particular threshold, a unity and culmination where the “universe consciously recognizes itself” and is about to be born into a yet new environment/field filled with its own unique situations and potentialities.

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The number nine embodies a transformative threshold, marking the transition between the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It signifies a moment of reflection where consciousness can either repeat past experiences or choose a new path. This capacity for choice is deeply intertwined with the interconnectedness of all consciousness, resonating with a larger universal field. 

Nine encapsulates the design process as a cosmic framework. It connects both individual and collective consciousness, emphasizing the interplay of cyclic behaviors and the potential for new beginnings. 

Design serves as a vital tool in this process, bridging intention and manifestation. Sacred symbols crafted through design embody the energies and meanings that shape our experiences, influencing relationships, cognition, and emotion. They can either foster unity or lead to division, depending on how they are employed. 

Ultimately, nine signifies completion and fulfillment, a point where consciousness achieves a profound understanding of itself. It represents a unity that precedes the birth of new possibilities, opening the door to unique experiences and potential within a fresh context. This cyclical nature of consciousness invites continuous evolution and exploration, reminding us of the power inherent in our choices. 

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"The number 9 is written with a circle and a line, the 0 and the 1. 0 is no-thing that represents everything. 1 is action and movement. 1s and 0s are the basic elements of computer programming, the two small commands that make our technological world possible; all of technology is built on 1s and 0s. We must have congruence, represented by the completeness of the 0 before we can take the 1's invitation to action. Sometimes we are tempted to use the 1, action, as a stick to beat the 0 into submission but that doesn't do us any good ..."

Jennifer Hoffman

January 2016 Energy Report

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The author generated this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.

Edited: 11.28.2013, 11.19.2014, 01.05.2016, 01.11.2017, 10.02.2019, 01.17.2020, 03.26.2020, 10.04.2020, 09.24.2024

Find your truth. Know your mind. Follow your heart. Love eternal will not be denied. Discernment is an integral part of self-mastery. You may share this post as long as author, copyright and URL https://designconsciousness.blogspot.com/ is included as the resource and shared on a non-commercial no charge basis. Please note … posts are continually being edited over time. Copyright © 2009 C.G. Garant. All Rights Reserved. (Fair use notice) You are also invited to visit https://designmetaphysics.blogspot.com/,   and https://sagariandesignnetwork.blogspot.com and https://www.pinterest.com

 

Conscious Connection

Conceptual impressions surrounding this post have yet to be substantiated, corroborated, confirmed or woven into a larger argument, context or network. Objective: To generate symbolic links to scientific discovery, design awareness and consciousness.

Consciousness is connected to awareness through symbolic expression. Consciousness has a design of its own expressed in patterns of energy in motion controlled and captured by attraction, i.e. vibrations and patterns of energy to which they resonate. 

Consciousness engages in itself by means of this awareness solely in order to define and characterize its being (meaning and purpose) within a certain dimensional context. Similarly, this “awareness” also triggers into manifestation the  necessary signs, and symbols to support its own particular perception and/or observation of reality.

All characterizations of consciousness are determined within the symbolic context of the universe. Consciousness is constantly being remodeled and altered in response to the context in which exists, i.e. has being. The meaning and purpose of any design is intimately entangled within the symbolic field and fabric of its own consciousness. Consciousness is embedded with the desire and drive for meaning and purpose, all to be realized by means of experience and quest for unity.

Consciousness seeks out “situations” and circumstances that support its survival and expression in reference to its own POV, i.e. design. Thousands of relationships and potential associations are considered, each in search of resonance. These relationships link together into symbolic "packages" we perceive and might best describe as experience.

Negative experiences are similarly retained creating situations that encourage interruption, inconsistency and/or incongruity. These events are encoded in every design. They appear irregular and negative due to the interpretative process, i.e. the symbolic language and context of observation. 

Every design is unique, assembling and disassembling into patterns and relationships that in turn, create a variety of options in which to resonate and respond, i.e. corresponding entanglement.

Certain vibrations complement each other creating a context of recognition, i.e. relative patterns of energy in motion created for the purpose of observation and response. Often disruptive, these situations seem to compel the observer towards an unrelenting drive towards balance and harmony.

Balance and harmony are compelling, challenging and appreciated when revealed as the outcome of a well-designed consciousness.

Past experiences expose a wide array of relationships, i.e. contexts, always to be considered, observed and reflected upon. 

Consciousness adapts and adjusts to every situation and circumstance by means of awareness. Awareness describes the ability to modify, alter, redesign, remodel, reshape, revamp reconstruct, reorganize, tailor, amend, refine and improve within constraints and parameters. 

Design lights the spark of awareness by making every event and experience "real". Design consciousness fulfills this challenge with signs, symbols, metaphor and analogy. Together they create the connections between consciousness, awareness and design, i.e. form and formlessness.

Because change is forever, we heavily rely upon experience to help determine the most appropriate response to a current situation. These choices are the result of a series of iterations that may or may not, correspond to the circumstances at hand. Experience, however, allows design and consciousness to refine its own awareness by means of iteration. 

iteration the repetition of a process or procedure to be applied as result of a previous application, typically as a means of obtaining successively closer approximations to the solution of a problem (situation) my parenthesis.

Consciousness encodes all symbols by virtue of experience. Signs and symbols can be randomly assembled, disassembled and uniquely reconfigured for a variety of purposes. Designs can be refined and shaped to accommodate every circumstance. Consciousness by means of awareness, chooses what it believes to be most appropriate, interpretation and response based upon past experiences.

Experience contributes to the expansion of consciousness by means of design, thereby bringing into relative "matter" a meaning and a purpose fundamental to every situation. 

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Consciousness, Symbolism, and Design: Toward a Theory of Dynamic Awareness 

Consciousness is inextricably linked to awareness through the medium of symbolic expression. This connection suggests that consciousness itself may be understood as a form of design—an emergent pattern constituted by dynamic flows of energy that are structured through resonant frequencies and vibrational harmonies (Laszlo, 2007; Bohm, 1980). These energetic patterns are not random; rather, they are guided and stabilized by attraction, forming structured "designs" through resonance, which functions as a principle of coherence across mental and material domains. 

Consciousness, in this framework, engages in a recursive relationship with itself through awareness. This engagement is not incidental but foundational, enabling the self-structuring of being within specific dimensional and symbolic contexts. Awareness, as a functional extension of consciousness, catalyzes the emergence of signs and symbols that serve to articulate and stabilize perception, thereby shaping the experience of reality (Peirce, 1931–1958; Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 1991). 

All manifestations of consciousness are mediated through the symbolic domain. The symbolic universe, therefore, acts as both the matrix and the material through which consciousness defines itself. Consequently, consciousness is perpetually reconfigured in response to the contexts in which it exists. These reconfigurations are not arbitrary but are governed by the symbolic logics embedded within each context. In this regard, the meaning and purpose of any design are inherently entangled with the symbolic field of the consciousness that perceives it (Krippendorff, 2006). 

The structure of consciousness is inherently teleological: it seeks meaning and purpose through experience, striving toward a state of unity. This drive manifests through the intentional seeking of environments and situations that resonate with its intrinsic design, or point of view (Gendlin, 1997). Within this paradigm, experience can be understood as a composite of symbolic "packages"—complex relational configurations that consciousness interprets and integrates. 

However, not all experiences are harmonious. Negative or dissonant experiences are also encoded into the structure of consciousness. These disruptions often arise from incongruity between expectation and perception, resulting in symbolic dissonance. Yet, these interruptions are integral to the design of consciousness, functioning as catalytic agents that propel transformation and adaptation (Jung, 1964). The interpretive act—mediated through the symbolic apparatus of awareness—renders these disruptions as either meaningful or meaningless, coherent or fragmented, depending on context. 

Each consciousness operates as a unique design, assembling and disassembling symbolic elements into relational networks that produce diverse experiential realities. Resonance among certain vibrational patterns fosters recognition and response, reinforcing the coherence of conscious design. Disruptive interactions, by contrast, often function as signals that incite the organism or system toward equilibrium—toward a reintegration of balance and harmony (Capra & Luisi, 2014). These conditions, when resolved, become expressions of a refined or “well-designed” consciousness. 

Memory and past experience serve as archives of symbolic relationships. These internal archives are constantly referenced, revised, and recontextualized through ongoing awareness. In this sense, awareness functions as a meta-design tool—an adaptive mechanism capable of modifying, restructuring, and reinterpreting experience to align with emergent goals and constraints. It embodies the design principles of iteration, responsiveness, and evolution (Dubberly, Pangaro, & Haque, 2009). 

Design, therefore, serves not merely as an artifact of consciousness but as its epistemological engine. It ignites awareness by rendering abstract potentials into concrete experiences through metaphor, sign, and analogy (Lakoff & Johnson, 2003). The interplay between form and formlessness—between conscious intention and emergent experience—produces the relational fabric of reality itself. 

Given the inherent mutability of consciousness, the capacity for change becomes a central design imperative. Iteration, grounded in lived experience, functions as the primary means by which awareness is refined and recalibrated. Each choice, each interpretation, constitutes a design decision, informed by memory yet oriented toward novel configurations. Consciousness, through this iterative design process, selects symbols, meanings, and responses that it deems most appropriate for its current circumstances. 

Ultimately, experience expands the boundaries of consciousness through the medium of design. As design gives form to meaning, it anchors abstract awareness into material and symbolic configurations that serve both perceptual coherence and existential purpose. The dynamic interplay among consciousness, awareness, and symbolic design thus constitutes the fundamental triad upon which all meaning-making processes are built. 

References:

 

• Bohm, D. (1980). Wholeness and the Implicate Order. Routledge. 

• Capra, F., & Luisi, P. L. (2014). The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision. Cambridge University Press

• Dubberly, H., Pangaro, P., & Haque, B. (2009). What is interaction? Are there different types? interactions, 16(1), 69–75. 

• Gendlin, E. T. (1997). Experiencing and the Creation of Meaning: A Philosophical and Psychological Approach to the Subjective. Northwestern University Press. 

• Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and His Symbols. Doubleday. 

• Krippendorff, K. (2006). The Semantic Turn: A New Foundation for Design. CRC Press.

 • Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (2003). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press. 

• Laszlo, E. (2007). Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything. Inner Traditions. 

• Peirce, C. S. (1931–1958). Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce (Vols. 1–8). Harvard University Press. 

• Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience. MIT Press. 

The author generated this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.

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"To believe is to accept another's truth.

To know is your own creation."

Anonymous

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Photo by John Vourlis

Edited: 11.28.2013, 10.16.2014, 01.11.2017, 08.01.2018, 03.26.2023, 01.06.2024, 06.19.2025

Find your truth. Know your mind. Follow your heart. Love eternal will not be denied. Discernment is an integral part of self-mastery. You may share this post as long as author, copyright and URL https://designconsciousness.blogspot.com/ is included as the resource and shared on a non-commercial no charge basis. Please note … posts are continually being edited over time. Copyright © 2009 C.G. Garant. All Rights Reserved. (Fair use notice.)You are also invited to visit https://designmetaphysics.blogspot.com/