of the coin; the other is a mental energy which pertains to the relevant Yin organ. This, in fact,
explains why a certain emotion affects a specific organ: that particular organ already produces a
certain mental energy with specific characteristics which, when subject to emotional stimuli,
responds to or "resonates" with a particular emotion. Thus emotions are not something that
comes from outside the internal organs to attack them; the internal organs already have a positive
mental energy which turns into negative emotions only when triggered by certain external
circumstances. For example, why does anger affect the Liver? If one considers the Liver's
characteristics of free-going, easy and quick movement, its tendency for its Qi to rise, its
correspondence to Spring when the powerful Yang energy bursts upwards and its
correspondence to Wood with its expansive movement, it is easy to understand that the Liver
would be affected by anger. This emotion, with its quick outbursts, the rising of blood to the
head that one feels when very angry, the destructive, expansive quality of rage, mimics, on an
affective level, the characteristics of the Liver and Wood outlined above. The same mental and
affective qualities of the Liver which may give rise to anger and resentment over many years,
could be harnessed and used for very creative mental development. It follows then that the best
way of dealing with the emotions (as causes of disease) is neither to ignore them nor suppress
them, but to recognize them, look at them and try to use the same mental energy for productive
aims. The healthy counterpart of emotions will be further considered when each single emotion
is discussed in detail.
In Chinese medicine, emotions (intended as causes of disease) are mental stimuli which disturb
the Mind and the Ethereal and Corporeal Souls and, through these, alter the balance of the
internal organs and the harmony of Qi and Blood. For this reason, emotional stress is an internal
cause of disease which injures the internal organs directly. On the other hand, and this is a very
important feature of Chinese medicine, the state of the internal organs affects our emotional
state. For example, if Liver-Yin is deficient (perhaps from dietary factors) and causes
Liver-Yang to rise, this may cause a person to become irritable all the time. Conversely, if a
person is constantly angry about a certain situation or with a particular person, this may cause
Liver-Yang to rise. The "Spiritual Axis" in chapter 8 clearly illustrates the reciprocal relationship
between the emotions and the internal organs. It says:
The Heart's fear, anxiety and pensiveness injure the Mind ... the Spleen's worry
injures the Intellect ... the Liver's sadness and shock injure the Ethereal Soul ...
the Lung's excessive joy injures the Corporeal Soul ... the Kidney's anger injures
the Will-Power ....46(212)On the other hand, further on it says:
If Liver-Blood is deficient there is fear, if it is in excess there is anger ... if
Heart-Qi is deficient there is sadness, if it is in excess there is manic behaviour
....47(213)These two passages clearly show that on the one hand, emotional stress injures the internal