A discussion of the treatment of mental and emotional problems is not possible without first
exploring the concept of the mind in Chinese medicine. It is only by understanding the concept
of mind and spirit in Chinese culture that we can truly grasp how to treat psychological and
emotional problems with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. All too often Chinese concepts of
"mind" and "spirit" are mistakenly interpreted in terms of Western (and often Christian) concepts
of "mind" and "spirit". The discussion of the treatment of mental-emotional problems will be
centred around the following subjects:
- The nature of the Mind in Chinese medicine
- The 5 mental-spiritual aspects of a human being
- The effect of the emotions on the Mind and Spirit
- Aetiology of mental-emotional problems
- Diagnostic signs in mental-emotional problems
- Pathology and treatment of mental-emotional problems
- Prevention of mental-emotional problems.
Nature of the Mind in Chinese Medicine
The Mind (Shen) is one of the vital substances of the body. It is the most subtle and non-material
type of Qi. The word Shen is often translated as "spirit" in Western acupuncture books and
schools; for reasons which will be clearer as the discussion progresses, I believe "Mind" is a
more accurate translation, while what we would call "spirit" in the West is the complex of all
five mental-spiritual aspects of a human being, i.e. Ethereal Soul (Hun), Corporeal Soul (Po),
Intellect (Yi), Will-Power (Zhi) and the Mind (Shen) itself.
The word Shen is used in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine with many different
meanings. The two main meanings which concern us are the following:
- Shen indicates the activity of thinking, consciousness, insight and memory, all of
which depend on the Heart. I translate this as "Mind".