strengthens and calms the Mind. It stimulates the Mind's clarity and intelligence. If left in a long
time (over 15 minutes) it calms the Mind and clears Heart-Fire.
Bl-47 Hunmen ("The Door of the Ethereal Soul")
This point, in correspondence with BL-18 Ganshu Back-Transporting point of the Liver, settles
and roots the Ethereal Soul in the Liver. It strengthens the Ethereal Soul's capacity of planning,
sense of aim in life, life-dreams, and projects. It is a "door", so this point facilitates the "coming
and going" of the Ethereal Soul and Mind, i.e. relationships with other people and the world in
general. It has an outward movement which could be compared and contrasted with the inward
movement of BL-42 Pohu. As this point facilitates the "coming and going" of the Ethereal Soul,
care must be exercised in people whose personality is too open, unstable or vulnerable, as the
point could make the Ethereal Soul too mobile and unsettled and make the patient very insecure
and shaky. This does not happen if the point is combined with BL-23 Shenshu and BL-52 Zhishi
(see below).
The "Explanation of Acupuncture Points" (1654) confirms that, due to this point's nature of
"window", the Ethereal Soul goes in and out through it. The text also says that, again this point
being a "window", it "stores the 5 Yin organs but these can be seen from the outside."72(251)
This confirms the dynamic nature of this point in stimulating the movement of the Ethereal Soul
and Mind.
On a physical level, this point is very useful in treating stagnant Liver-Qi insulting the Lungs (as
it happens in some types of asthma).
Bl-49 Yishe ("Hut of the Intellect")
This point, in correspondence with BL-20 Pishu Back-Transporting point of the Spleen,
strengthens the Intellect, clears the Mind and stimulates memory and concentration. It also
relieves the Mind and Intellect of obsessive thoughts, brooding, mentally going round in circles.
On a physical level, this point can be used with direct moxa to dry the Spleen of Dampness and
also to tonify the Lungs (according to the principle of strengthening Earth to tonify Metal).
Bl-52 Zhishi ("Room of the Will-Power")
This point, in correspondence with BL-23 Shenshu Back-Transporting point of the Kidneys,
strengthens will-power, drive, determination, the capacity of pursuing one's goals with
single-mindedness, spirit of initiative and stead-fastness. I often use this point, if there is a
Kidney deficiency, in combination with one of the above points, as a solid mental-emotional
foundation for the other aspects of the psyche. The following are some examples of such
combinations:
- BL-23 Shenshu, BL-52 Zhishi and BL-47 Hunmen to strengthen will-power and drive,