Spiritual introspection is one of the deepest dives we can take. Its essential practice is inquiry, a sincere questioning of ourselves across nine dimensions reflected in the Enneagram of Personality and the Enneagram of Soul. The answers we seek come not from our egos but from our souls.

We have all had seasons, times, and instances of introspection. We delve deeper into our own lives to see what is going on with ourselves. 

What we comprehend and grasp from our deep dive is finally combined with our soul. This union is also called embodiment. Though the soul is not the body, it works through the body just like the heart and mind. We can know something mentally and feel it emotionally, but only when we embody it does it become part of our being.

A genuine deep dive into any exploration requires curiosity, courage, and challenge, but that’s not all. A fourth ingredient is comprehension— an intuitive grasp that deepens into complete understanding. The root of comprehension comes from the Latin prehendere, meaning “to grasp” or “to seize.”

The next step in taking the deep dive is courage. 

Courage is essential when we take a deep dive into the spiritual world because it brings new awareness that challenges, inspires, unsettles, and even disturbs us. Delving deeper can reveal truths we would rather avoid and challenge our behavior or attitudes. It may ask us to release old beliefs, dethrone some of our heroes, or recognize goodness in those we once judged. A deep dive can reveal our shadow and demand that we accept what we have resisted. Yet these awakenings bring consciousness. Without them, we can sleepwalk through life, and sadly, miss the true excitement of living the spiritual life.

The next step in taking the deep dive is courage. 

Courage is essential when we take a deep dive into the spiritual world because it brings new awareness that challenges, inspires, unsettles, and even disturbs us. Delving deeper can reveal truths we would rather avoid and challenge our behavior or attitudes. It may ask us to release old beliefs, dethrone some of our heroes, or recognize goodness in those we once judged. A deep dive can reveal our shadow and demand that we accept what we have resisted. Yet these awakenings bring consciousness. Without them, we can sleepwalk through life, and sadly, miss the true excitement of living the spiritual life.

Welcome to this series of Daily Reflections on The Deep Dive.

At the Institute for Conscious Being, teachers Barbara Sloan and Erika Jobes lead an advanced study described as “a deep dive” into the nine energies of the Enneagram. Their Master’s Certification Course builds upon the foundational Scholar’s Certification, guiding students into profound spiritual insight. Those who have taken Barbara’s and Erika’s courses are enthusiastic about the depth of wisdom they encounter. Barbara and Erika not only teach the more intricate principles of the nine energies and the best spiritual practices for each, they give in-depth live interviews to people from each energy.