They were honed for millions of years, and they still govern all life on Earth — including, to a great extent, human beings. The instinctual drives are as relevant to us today as they were to early humans, animals before humans, and even plants.
In this respect, the statement that we’re “basically plants with complicated emotions” isn’t too far off. Of course, we are not only our instinctual expression, but a lot of other things, too. But how do the instinctual impulses operate in us — and what, exactly, do they cover? That is what this live, interactive course explores.
Our biological drives, or rather, our individual preferences and priorities where they are concerned, are an important part of what makes us “us”. Often taught in connection with the Enneagram, aspects of the instincts are easily confused, misunderstood or misinterpreted.
In this 5 module course, we make great progress in our understanding of the drives as such as well as our own priorities and personal “stacking” of these gut features, including the all-important zones of each drive. The course has no requirements of previous knowledge, although most participants will likely know about the Enneagram. Whether or not you know your type (and how much Enneagram knowledge you have) is not important. Active participation is recommended, although if you miss a particular session, you can catch up watching the recording. Featuring participants’ questions and participation, the recordings are only accessible throughout the course and a few months after. They are only for streaming, not for download.
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Format and scope
The course is online, in 5 modules of 2 hrs each.
Tool: Zoom (download from https://zoom.us)
Scope: 5 modules
Frequency: Usually every week
We will cover: The nature of the instinctual centre; the evolutionary purpose, nature and scope of each instinct; what basic and extended functions the drives fulfil for us today; the three zones of expression for each instinct. what happens when an instinct is neglected and how we can work and grow with and from our own instinctual expression and awareness. All modules will include guided meditation and practical exercises. All modules are also recorded for reviewing later, but cannot be downloaded and will only be accessible while the course is running.
After the last module, participants get an optional 50 % discount on an Instinctual Preferences Sorting session for exploring their personal instinctual order of preference and their relationship to each of the three instincts. The discount expires after 30 days. As an optional (but by no means necessary) preparation, participants might familiarise themselves with the material by reading the book Aspects of you (also available in Spanish as Tus facetas and in Swedish as Navigera i ditt inre).
Note that the course is designed for interactivity and therefore live participation, as some of the course time is devoted to questions and discussion. That said, if you are incapable of being there for a particular session or throughout (e g, due to time-zone issues), each module is recorded so you can watch it back. The recordings are not for download, and about three months after the course they will be taken down.