The point of attachment to the question of existence. wavering between integrated presence and dissociation from control of boundaries and movement. 

9 is fixated on identifying the right emotional place for the body and psyche. Boundaries, experiences, connections are experienced as potential places of integration and/or confusion/decay. Maintanence of internal state away from the changes of the world.

9 is fundamentally torn between internal and external energies and qualities. There is a constant weighing of which causes more inner distrubance - awareness or dissociation. Based on the result of this, the 9 paves a path of least resistance to keep the consistency of inner world that allows themselves to stay in touch with themselves and the universe on their terms. This usually requires minimizing certain needs that would be too tense to engage with directly and delaying reactions to sustain inner harmony.

9 removes self from the action of the gut center and prioritizies determining the right quality of experience through vibes, subtleties, and unspoken characteristics. This creates a fantasy/daydreaming orientation that results in them having difficulties articulating themselves directly in conflicts as they prefer to stay within a harmonious state of being that doesnt force them to expose their inner world - which they believe the world may contaminate through aspects like forcefulness, reasoning, or overly strong sentiments.

The core issue of 9 is dissociation from commitment to existence within their own beliefs and needs. They hold back their will and let others to get their way to reach harmony more conveniently; though, this causes a shadow aspect of willfulness (-3) which causes them to hold grudges or pent-up aggression that fulfills itself by covertly dismantling other people's wills or causing inconvenience to get noticed.

9's have a bipolar relationship with being noticed and seen. On the one hand they deeply desire the connection and depth that it brings; and on the other hand, their oversensitivity to being called-out, criticized, challenged preemptively makes them shut down and retreat into their inner world. This conflict can either be a point of integration for the 9 to begin to materialize their inner world, or it can be a repeating cycle of holding back, not asserting boundaries and then blaming the world for going against the 9's desires.

Due to their keen perception of nuanced emotional, "energetic", or vibe readings, 9's have a great capacity for empathy as they can see themselves in everybody's self experience and provide space for them. The common tropes of Highly Sensitive People, Empaths, and Energy healers is exactly based on the nature of enneagram 9 (more precisley, 9w1). These trends tend to confuse 9's into believing they need to build tougher shells and self-isolate, when all that really does is further entangle the 9 into confused and egotistical self-beliefs.

The hidden triads as they are expressed in #9:

Gut (8, 9, 1): Center of Energy that processes the quality of presence, being, and existence. 9 is the emotional aspect of the gut which seeks to maintain a positive feeling about self (even by exposing self to negativity)

Withdrawn (9, 4, 5): removing selfhood and presence from the world to protect the possibility of transformation and harmony from the chaos of the hard materiality of the world and others. More apprarent in 9w8

Attachment (9, 3, 6): In a state of identification with the merging point between people, causing them to jump between hyper-individuation and overadaptation to the environment. More apparent in 9w1.

Positive-Orientation (9, 2, 7): Sees self and environment in a process of constant change, that with the right mindset can be propelled in a direction that serves total sense of wellbeing.

Desirability-Seeking (9, 2, 4): Presents self as a unique resource for understanding and empathy to be wanted and desired without trying.

Examples:  TBD

Key Qualities:

• Withdrawing from the Gut center’s need for presence

• Integrating the various conflicts of intentions through a reconciling lens

• Perceiving the subtleties of relationships

• Erasing the self’s need for boundaries and self-assertion in favor of a more holistic perception. (this creates a swinging state between assertion and withdrawal common in all three attachment types)

• Maintaining a sense of instinctual desirability by becoming perfect mirrors to their partners. 

• Seeing holistic pictures of the emotional weight of experience

• Feeling boundaries expand and shrink, feeling the qualities of changes that penetrate as boundaries are crossed and the environment/people’s effects on being.

Type Story: 

A dreamer and individualist, split between the relaxed state of undisturbed existence and the shocks of being triggered by the hiccups of reality. 

capable of seeing themself in everyone naturally, relating and connecting based on subtleties of experience. sometimes blames others for lack of action on their part due to self-erasure in moments that are highly disruptive of homeostasis of energy. 

Type 9 trust vibes and subtle cues, this can let them get dragged into things without checking in with their own motivations. how they react to the shock of self-erasure is determined by their wing.

Wings

9w8: rejects the need to move or alter their basic state and instinctual gut reactions. Reactively severs self from things that cause disharmony to them. rejects to participate, removes the self from the situation. like a snapping turtle descending into its shell. non-verbal, seems unmoved and unbothered. reactions are not very reasoned, and focused on maintaining smoothness of experience without focus on externality. Identified with being in control of their experience

9w1 : Dissociates from disharmony to process their anger as well as justifications for why they could be wrong. Evaluating the situation to find what specifically caused them to dissociate and withdraw from experience, so they can direct their anger properly without causing miscalculated damage. guilt trips and receipt based mentality. exchange of energy must be ordained and followed by relationships. more calculating and philosophical, less physical and heavy in the gut. Identified with being righteous with elements of martyrdom.