Healing At Last: A Creative Enneagram Podast

Just a while ago, Ryan O’Neal, under the creative name Sleeping at Last, started introducing music based off of different aspects of life and the experience of living. Just about a year ago, he began the journey of writing music tribute to the nine types of the Enneagram. Along with these types, he introduced podcasts to explain and answer questions like “why does this song make sense as a highlight to the Enneagram nine,” or “what makes the enneagram five a five,” and even “how did these lyrics come about?” I listened to episode twelve of The Sleeping At Last Podcast to better understand podcasts in general, the Enneagram type four, and O’Neal’s music itself. The podcast features Chris Heuertz, an Enneagram specialist, and podcast creator, Ryan O’Neal. They talk about each enneagram type, they highlight the song they’re going to be talking about, then they dissect the music (and in this episode’s case, the personality type). After listening, I would propose that this podcast was extremely effective in reaching its target audience through utilizing valid research, good music, and strong voices in its field.

            As I previously mentioned, Ryan O’Neal brings Chris Heuertz into each Enneagram podcast. This makes the production and narrative of the podcast a little bit conversational. It has a twinge of interview mood to it, but it is mainly O’Neal talking about the music and Heuertz talking about the Enneagram, and they transition into each other’s’ parts smoothly. There is little interruption, which makes it seem scripted, however, there is enough fluidity in the conversation that makes it seem like maybe the two podcasters are reading an outline of points to address and just talking about what they love and know.

            As you can imagine, what O’Neal loves and knows is his music. The fact that this is a podcast about music makes the soundscape more direct and simple than in other podcasts. O’Neal first features his song “Four” on this podcast. As the two talk about Enneagram dominant fours, they talk the song apart piece by piece. O’Neal will highlight a character trait of fours and why he thinks this is important, then he will play the line from the song through music and lyric, just music, or just lyric. These tidbits of sound give the podcast character. O’Neal also uses these interesting facets of sentiment in his Enneagram songs called “fingerprints."

            The basic concept of a fingerprint is the process in which O’Neal identifies his friends that all feel connected to the specific Enneagram type at hand, and he asks them to record a soundscape of their own—whether that be something out of their everyday life, a bit of them singing, an instrument they love to play, or something else completely unique. He asks them to record these little bits of character and send them to him, then he incorporates them into the literal foundation of the song. He pays tribute to all the (in this song, specifically) type fours in his life. These soundscapes are played as stand-alone bits in the podcast, which also gives the podcast a unique twist against other music podcasts.

            While most of the music in the podcast comes from O’Neal, most of the Enneagram research comes from Heuertz. While it is very clear that O’Neal and Heuertz have bot had to undergo immense studies and research to understand the topics they are presenting on, Heuertz is recognized as an intellectual Enneagram specialist in the Enneagram community, while O’Neal is more of a creative, than an “intellectual.” Heuertz gives many insights to the importance of Enneagram fours and the way they are characterized and how they relate to the world. From what I have read, fours are typically the “misunderstood, “misinterpreted,” “mistyped” type, because they are so unique and special. More can be read about fours, specifically, and other types by following this link to the Enneagram Institute.

            The information Heuertz gives on people who are dominant type four is very well researched. People know that Heuertz’s information and viewpoint are valid because he has a strong voice in his community, and is a leading voice in Enneagram literature with his book “The Sacred Enneagram.” He gives clear, concise images that can speak to anyone who identifies with the type four, and anyone who is simply trying to learn more about music and the Enneagram.

            Quite honestly, I believe the podcast did a wonderful job of being a podcast. It was almost as beautiful as the song “Four” itself. The way that Ryan O’Neal and Chris Heuertz created a space where it was safe to talk about the good and the bad, the healthy and unhealthy in a personality and in a song was beautiful. I think it got the job done, as well. It has thousands of listeners, which is pretty impressive for this artist who has not been widely known, yet. People all around me in the Enneagram community have said that it (The Sleeping At Last Podcast, and this episode in general) is revolutionary. It has been well-received by all I have spoken to about it. I could not recommend it enough. As someone who is type-four dominant, myself, I would recommend it to any and all who identify like I do.  It is beautifully redemptive in both music lyrics and encouraging research. I would recommend it to anyone who knows and loves “a four,” because it can be healing, and it can help anyone who listens to it better understand and better love “the four” as a type. I never really appreciated what it meant to be “A Four,” “A Romantic,” and “An Individualist,” until I listened to this podcast that turned out to be incredible healing. The Sleeping At Last Podcast is an easy listen chock-full of emotion and sentiment, but also beautiful personality and musical intelligence.