The eyes manifest the essence of the 5 Yin and 6 Yang organs, the Nutritive and
Defensive Qi and they are the place where the Qi of the Mind is generated ... the
eyes are the messengers of the Heart which houses the Mind. If the Mind and
Essence are not coordinated and not transmitted, one has visual hallucinations.
The Mind, Ethereal Soul and Corporeal Soul are scattered so that one has
bewildering perceptions.67(238)Shi Pa Nan in "Origin of Medicine" (1861) says: "The Qi of the Mind and Spirit dwells in the
eyes".68(239) Zhou Xue Hai in "A Simple Guide to Diagnosis from Body and Colour" (1894)
says: "Even if the illness is serious, if the eyes have good shen, the prognosis is good".69(240)
When looking at the eyes, we need to consider two aspects:
- whether they have glitter or not
- whether they are controlled or not.
If the eyes are clear, have glitter, sparkle or gleam and are brilliant, it shows that the Mind and
Spirit are in a good state of vitality. If they are dull as if they were clouded by a mist, it shows
that the Mind or Spirit are disturbed.
"Controlled" look means a fixed, sustained and penetrating look: this indicates a stable and
integrated personality. "Uncontrolled" means that the look is shifty or too fixed.
If the eyes look uncontrolled it indicates that the person is affected by anger. In terms of
personality, an uncontrolled look points to a mercurial character, an unreliable person, a person
ridden by guilt, fanatical or possibly destructive.
Sadness, grief and shock make the eyes dull and without glitter.
Joy, in the sense outlined above, makes the eyes uncontrolled and slightly too watery.
Fear makes the eyes bulge out slightly and shift frequently.
Guilt makes the eyes shifty and the eyelids flap shut in rapid movements while talking.
Pulse
The pulse reflects the state of Qi while the eyes directly reflect the state of the Mind and Spirit.
Thus, it is only after some years of clinical experience that one can draw conclusions about the
relation between certain pulse qualities and mental-emotional problems. For example, sadness
and grief can render the eyes dull and without glitter, which definitely indicates a disturbance of