Pathogenic Relationship Disease
Natural Acupuncture is based on the notion that our organs can develop pathological relationships with each other. We believe that the laws ruling the universe operate on many levels, from the personal (physical and emotional) to the social (interpersonal and cultural). We find the same correspondence at the internal and physiological levels, from big organs to the smallest cellular structures. What happens outside has its counterpart inside. In the same way, the internal structure of the atom mirrors the structure of the universe, and vice versa. We may not yet know the precise nature of these laws but we know that they are at work in all areas of life. Illness begins with conflict and this conflict is always triggered by the interaction between the two different parties in a relationship, not by the issues that each party may bring. The relationship itself becomes diseased as a result of the environment.
We cannot treat an illness in isolation; any change in a system is the result of the interaction between different elements in that system, not the elements themselves. For example, it has been observed that atoms become excited in the presence of other atoms. Harmless bacteria can turn harmful depending on the environment. Likewise, relationships can undergo profound changes: loving couples who, for no apparent reason, begin to treat each other with contempt; people experience the stress of their relationship problems in their bodies. Outside the relationship, these people are healthy and normal, capable of listening to each other and sharing their views.
We have all experienced it. Who is ill? The relationship, not the individuals. People believe that diseases originate in specific organs: cirrhosis is located in the liver; cystic fibrosis in the lungs; headaches in the brain. But what if the organs affected by the symptom were not the real culprits? What if there were no culprit? The disease has a cause. For example, a man can be born healthy and well-balanced and, over time, become depressed or mad. But is he the only one responsible? Or should we look at environmental or social factors and, more specifically, his role within a particular environment or group? In the case of mental illness, 180 Natural Acupuncture Pathogenic Relationship it is the patient’s role in a group or his relationships that we should be looking at, not just his situation; he is only a victim.
Similarly, we cannot claim that society is the cause of the disease, since many people seem to function well within a given environment, while others find it hard to adjust. The problem lies not with the individual or society, but with the relationship between the two. But how can an abstract notion, a virtual entity, like a “relationship” have any real, tangible effects? Years ago, this seemed an impossibility. Nowadays, since the development of Quantum Mechanics, we know that the behavior of matter at a subatomic level is determined by the interaction between the particles in their virtual field. If we apply the same principle to human behavior we realize that the relationships or virtual fields we form with other individuals also affect us. Any damage to these virtual fields can cause an illness to appear.
We have already looked at Emergent Properties. For example, liquid water turns into ice when subjected to or brought into contact with, very cold temperatures. Conversely, it will turn into vapor when subjected to high temperatures. Each state is different in its chemical structure, and this difference is based on, or caused by, a relationship. Imagine a rabbit inside a cage. If we put another rabbit, his mum for example, in the cage, the rabbit remains calm. However, if we place a cat inside, the rabbit becomes nervous, and as a result, there is a change in his vital rhythms. Not only in his vital rhythms: we also notice chemical and biological changes (Emergent Properties). Neither the rabbit nor the cat is responsible for these changes; it is the relationship between the two. In sum, our internal organs do not work in isolation but are dependent on, or in interaction with, other organs. Cells are connected to other cells and their immediate environment; sometimes even to cells in other environments. It is clear that, when dealing with an illness, we should not focus only on the specific organ. In some cases, this could be downright dangerous. Instead, we should focus our attention on the relationships between organs and on the virtual system created and sustained by their interactions. Disease and behavior In every group, each member has a different function or specific role to play. These roles, or the relations between them, create the basis on which the whole group rests, its specific environment or field of operations. Each individual must carry out their role to the needs of the group as a whole. When we look at cells, we see that each one has a specific function. Then cells join other cells to form complex structures or organs. Our organs also have specific functions within our body; these determine our behavior.
Our connection to our environment is based on how well we carry out our individual appointed roles. Since more than 80% of our behavior is dictated by unconscious processes taking place in our vital organs (as we shall see later), it is fair to say that our health depends on the harmonious coexistence between the organs. If the organs are in a state of equilibrium, our unconscious will remain balanced. A balanced state means that we are behaving responsibly, helping others in our environment, and fulfilling our appointed roles. When we are not balanced, our unconscious behavior changes and so do our everyday roles. This is the path to illness (see Angle Theory). We can also look at it from the opposite perspective: a malfunction in our external or group roles can lead to similarly pathological relations between our internal organs, causing illness. In the 21st Century, science is starting to recognize the important role that emotions play in disease, something that has been known for centuries. Our organs can communicate, through symptoms, when they are straying from their natural direction. As soon as the path is corrected, symptoms stop and the illness disappears Angle Theory. Pathogenic Relationship Natural Acupuncture 181 If this is the case, what kind of behavior promotes good relationships in my organism? Could I be free from physical and emotional problems if I follow the correct path?
The Heart in Natural Acupuncture:
As subconscious is named the Merchant, since it is the multilingual middleman, the one that collects from all parts to sell to the exterior, virtues and riches in search of increased profit. The traditional Chinese name for the spirit of the liver is Shen, which is normally translated as “small spirit”. But let´s not get confused but the “small spirit” is only responsible for conscience, as an integrating unit of emotions. But emotions come from the liver´s reflective energy which is who dominates signals. The heart changes the recipients, but it doesn´t emit signals of dominance and control. It changes them on the basis of what the liver sends. This is probably why the shaman Taoists wanted to call it small, making reference to its integrating character and translator of emotions; but it only translates, it doesn´t create them. It is directly responsible for being awake and asleep. The liver is who informs the heart to disconnect the conscience from the brain. And the liver is, as we know, who does it because it needs tranquillity to reorganize what it has acquired. The heart in some way changes the spark and with this, the brain disconnects. But not totally, it only does it with the conscience, which is its resonating action with the exterior. During sleep, the brain´s electricity increases. Since it doesn´t have to resonate with the exterior everything concentrates on reordering. The liver, by means of the heart´s action, takes advantage of the opportunity to also order the palace (brain). The principal function of the Merchant, as a subconscious, is putting abstract and emotional information in a straight line, in sequences ordered linearly.
The Merchant is also the one that looks for agreements with the exterior, it knows what resources its country has, and tries to establish agreements with neighboring countries so as to achieve general benefits. In this sense, it is the one that speaks, the one that establishes agreements with people (external systems) so as to play with its system energy and earn more for everyone. This is why the Merchant is the Body´s great actor, capable of exaggerating its strong points or dissimulating its faults. This is why it needs to control the facial muscles and know how to play with them. Good luck and the general benefit of the body depends on the body´s ability to do well. A very good speaker has the ability to live a more comfortable life. Because of this, our Western society he use of the heart is excessive, we all actively look to better our material life and have physical pleasures throughout society.
Yang: Mental Communicator
Now we speak about the right heart chambers, the ones that produce the first cardiac trigger that cleans the blood so as to send it to the lungs. But its powerful trigger doesn´t go to the blood as does the Yin, but rather it goes to the brain to produce expectations, where it receives what the “dirty” blood that isn´t new but old. Why doesn´t the second spark which is clean and complete not get to the brain? Well, it does get there, obviously, but the first is more influential. And this is because of the emperor and his interest in knowing what actually exists and not so much the plans that exist. Things that are 368 Natural Acupuncture Heart: The Merchant already made are the ones that must get to him so that he doesn´t get too excited and active trying to look for solutions. Our body looks after the brain so as not to be alarmed by everything. What´s new gets to the brain, and whatever passes through the subconsciousness, and these collective conclusions are what is of interest to the emperor. The jewelry and conquests are the final product. No emperor wants to see the raw product and be told about all that needs to be done to make it. This is not of importance to an emperor; he wants the final product that gives him pleasure and ease of use. Conscience is forged with this final product. This way we say how the body is always one step in front of the brain. The mental communicator goes up and since it is quicker than the Yin, it establishes the strength of the linear time which generates expectations.
The Kidney
We refer to the kidneys’ subconscious as the Great Mother, a name that acknowledges the fundamental role that these organs play in coordinating all of the organism’s major functions. If we think of the organism as a country, then the kidneys can be thought of as this country’s spiritual or religious dimension, the magic that connects all people. In this chapter, we will try to follow a chronological order without using a traditional linear scheme, since the kidneys are regulated according to the life cycles. It is not easy to create a sense of chronological order using a circular rather than a straight pattern, but life is a series of repeating cycles that overlap and become entangled, each one leading on to the next. Essence: We will start with an exploration of “the essence,” what it is, and how it affects us. Our “essence” is formed before we are born. By essence, we mean the energy or information carried by all the bodily fluids (saliva, mucus, acid, fluids, lymph, etc.) like a current of information guiding us on the Path to our Destiny throughout life. This essence is also an integral part of our physical immune system, as it protects us from unwanted chemical or organic compounds.
On a more personal level, it helps us stay on the right path by preventing us from making poor decisions. This information, generated before birth, is our constant nourishment, evolving and changing throughout our lives. Anything that enters our organism is bathed in this essence that protects us and helps adapt the world to our needs. The Anterior Heaven: the essence begins in the Anterior Heaven. We have already talked about this important concept in Chinese culture. The Chinese add a year to a person’s age to acknowledge the existence of this Anterior Heaven, which is already in place even before the parents meet. The energies of the universe are different melodic lines continuously converging to create a whole. These energetic waves are always there, deep in each person’s genealogy. We are all part of a delicately balanced system. Our energies are necessary to maintain the right balance: that is 21 Kidneys The Great Mother 392 Natural Acupuncture Kidneys: The Great Mother our destiny. In all cultures, a newborn baby is celebrated as a “Christ” figure or savior that can restore balance to their tree (our family) or other trees (wider society). The essence contains our natural virtues, our generative power. The Left Kidney Yin is the first organ to come into play, a year before the child is born. It acts as a receiver or antenna that captures the energies contained in the Anterior Heaven. All newborn babies have their own innate preferences and abilities; they find some things easier to do than others. These natural abilities or “selective virtues” constitute our “mission” or purpose, which also determines our rightful place within the global system.