The Five Spirits in TCM
While today, Halloween is synonymous with dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating, many forget that its origins are actually rooted in an annual Gaelic tradition called Samhain, a festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. Across many cultures, this time is synonymous with the belief that the veil that separates the earthly plane from the spiritual world thins, making it easier for spirits to cross over and walk amongst the living.
GHOSTS AND SPIRITS HAVE THEIR ROLE IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AS WELL.
Its origins were rooted in the belief that illness was caused by evil spirits and medical treatments were therefore a means to calm unhappy ancestors. Today, treatment with TCM embodies a holistic approach centered on the mind, body and spirit uniquely working together as one collective network, encompassing our total human experience. Therefore, all of our ailments, symptoms, diseases and behaviors are a result of the connection between the ethereal (heavenly) and the material (earth) nature we exist in. This connection between the body and spirit resonates with the understanding in Western medicine that the brain functions through information received by our internal organs.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each organ has its own physical, spiritual and mental aspect - minds that branch off from a person’s central spirit called “The Shen.” The five “Shen” or spirits are: Hun, Po, Zhi, Yi and Shen of the Heart and are stored within one of the 5 Yin organs, possessing unique roles and characteristics that assert themselves when either contented or disturbed. When the Five Shen are in balance, they vibrate harmoniously. If our bodies are in spiritual disharmony, the effects can manifest both physically and emotionally.
THE FIVE SPIRITS (SHEN)
ETHEREAL (HUN) OF THE LIVER
The Hun or Ethereal Soul is very similar to the Western concept of the soul, which tethers to us at birth but survives the body after death. Located in the liver, the Hun has its own consciousness and must be able to connect and disengage with the mind as it pleases. Our mind is the rational part of us, in charge of processing information while our Ethereal Soul is in charge of bringing the inner world and dreams into awareness or fruition. Hun is linked to our dreams - those we have while we sleep, our aspirations, our human relationships, our creativity and our imagination. It encourages us to think outside the box in order to fulfill our potential. It is the intermediary between our waking and sleeping states.
Balanced Hun:
Moves freely; our innermost thoughts, dreams, creative aspirations are brought to life
Unbalanced Hun:
Depression
Lack of motivation
Difficulty regulating emotions
Manic state
Disrupted sleep (sleepwalking, intense dreaming, dreamless nights)
CORPOREAL (PO) OF THE LUNGS
Po is the spirit-mind stored by our lungs - our most exterior organ and that which represents the structure of the body and our immune system. The lungs are most significantly associated with our sense of survival; our breathing, (the inhalation and exhalation of oxygen) representative of involuntary, life giving functions. As such, Po integrates with us at our first breath and disintegrates at the end of our life when breathing ceases. Spiritually, Po relates to our “knee jerk” reactions - our instincts and impulses.
Balanced Po:
Clear speech
Ability to stay connected to the moment through deep breaths
Assertive and fair judgment
Unbalanced Po:
Weak respiratory function
Lethargy
Sorrow
Grief
Inability to move forward from the past
WILL (ZHI) OF THE KIDNEYS
Stored in our kidneys, the spirit-mind Zhi relates to our will power - the essence of what makes us human. It stores the part of our consciousness that constantly strives to move forward, grow and evolve. It gives us courage to move through fear in order to do something that scares us, pushing past uncertainty in taking a risk. It allows us to adapt through stress, rather than be crippled by it. Zhi involves trust, faith, and acceptance of a future we can’t control.
Balanced Zhi:
Confidence; belief in yourself, no fear of the unknown
Unbalanced Zhi:
Running away from or ignoring opportunities
Lack of drive
Depression
Memory loss
Fatigue
THINKING (YI) OF THE SPLEEN
The spleen is a major organ for digestion. It separates and transforms useful nutrients from waste. The spirit-mind Yi, which is stored in our spleen, helps us think, study, memorize, focus, concentrate and generate thoughts. Physically, if our spleen isn’t functioning as it should, we experience poor digestion. Similarly, a weak Yi poorly digests our thoughts because quite literally, our middle body is “knotted.”
Balanced Yi:
Clear thoughts and actions
Routine, structured life
Attainable goal setting
Faithful and loyal actions
Unbalanced Yi:
Congested thoughts
Overthinking
Lacking in intention
HEART-MIND (LITTLE SHEN) OF THE HEART
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is what governs blood flow, vessels and the function of all internal organs. For this reason, it’s referred to as the Monarch - the supreme ruler of our organs and our mind. The “little” Shen resides directly in our heart, rooted in and moved by blood and therefore connected to our relationships, allowing us to be loved and to love others and plays a key role in how we process our interactions with others and external stimuli. It’s also linked to our sense of identity, consciousness, insight and memory, allowing us to fully be in touch with who we are. As such, when we experience trauma, it damages our little Shen; it’s the place we physically feel emotional pain.
Balanced Little Shen:
Clear speech and vision
Self awareness
Good sleep patterns
Confident self expression
Compassion
Empathy
Flowing ideas
Unbalanced Little Shen
Cloudy thinking
Lack of eye contact, confidence
Paranoia
Apathy
Trouble relating to others, socially awkward
Traditional Chinese Medicine tunes into the presence of the Five Spirits. Assessing the state of each spirit is part of the diagnostic process.
Acupuncture is not just for either physical ailments or supporting mental health - treating the spirit is intertwined with an individual’s healing and overall well being. Treatments intentionally select points that nourish these spirits and tether them to their associated organ systems, making the patient feel more grounded, clear, safe and fully integrated. It’s a medicine that blends physicality and energy in order to clear blockages and create space so that you can fully inhabit and express your most vibrant and authentic self.
Contact me to book an appointment to ensure you won’t be haunted by an imbalance.
