Most patients require internal healing and transformation; therefore, to promote change at the source of their disharmony, we as practitioners need to understand the inner causes of disease – the emotions. Chinese medicine offers a deep understanding of life, well-being, disease and suffering. This understanding is rooted in the movement of Qi between heaven and earth. Although these concepts are ancient, they present a very complex system, which explains the functions of the Shen and the mind and the interaction between the two.
It seems that in the current usage of TCM, external pathological factors such as Wind, Damp etc., receive greater emphasis. At the same time, the root of understanding, diagnosing and treating psychological and autoimmune disorders lies within the Interaction between the Qi Shen and the emotions.
The seven internal causes of disease, i.e. the seven emotions and their pathological effects on the body, are described in various ancient texts, such as in Su Wen 39, for example: “when one is angry the Qi rises upwards”. This statement presents an emotion such as anger, while simultaneously explaining the movement of Qi and its effect both on liver function and on the Shen – Hun. The two appear to be inherently interconnected.
