Lying at the heart of Chinese medicine’s perspective on human consciousness are Wushen, the five Spirits - Shen, Hun, Yi, Po and Zhi. The Five Spirits are the immaterial aspect of a human being and the most subtle aspect of qi. They are the Taoist version of the Western soul or psyche and each of the spirits represents a particular quality or aspect of the human mind.
The Five Spirits provide us with a symbolical map of the psyche that extends from material to spiritual. At the yin end (representing the body and instincts) the lower spirits represent the autonomic nervous systems primitive brain and lower spine as well as the reproductive, digestive and basic survival functions. At the yang end (representing consciousness and awareness), the upper spirits represent the frontal lobe and cerebral cortex as well as the thinking, planning and visioning functions of the mind and imagination.
This is very similar to Jung’s conception of the psyche as having an instinctual and spiritual pole (instinct and archetype). He compares the psyche to the light spectrum to illustrate how it gradually passes from the physiology of instinct to the spirituality of archetype. Instincts are seen to be grounded in physiology and are experienced through body symptoms, instinctual impulses, perceptions and desires. They provide the driving energy of the psyche. It is just such an instinctual drive that forces the archetypal contents of the collective unconscious into consciousness. Or in other words archetype is the image of the instinct. The spiritual side is experienced psychologically as ideas dreams, images and fantasies.
Both the Jungian and alchemical systems do see the psyche as embodied reality and not simply as a mental and spiritual idea. The psyche arises with the life process and it is the force of the spirit that brings the body to life. From a Taoist perspective the life of an human being is the coming together of the substance of body (yin, Po Spirit ) and spirit (yang, Hun Spirit). Hun cannot exist without Po, it is their interaction which maintains life as the Po soul grounds and stabilizes the psyche with its reliable organic rhythms and infallible instincts and the Hun in contrast inspires and enlivens the body with its healing visions and dreams. When the yang Hun or spiritual soul no longer lifts and animates the yin Po, the life force collapses toward the embodied or somatic aspect of the psyche and we find chronic unmoving physical blocks, rigidities and pain, regressive behavior and depleted psychic energy. This kind of collapse may lead to depression, obsessions, chronic muscular pain, exhaustion and hypochondria. Conversely, when the yin Po or material soul does not tether the yang Hun to the earth, the qi floats up and accumulates in the non-material or mental aspect of the psyche. In this case the result may be hyperactivity, insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations.
The split in the soul or subtle body begins when human beings become alienated from the wisdom of the body and nature, when we forget to listen to our inner voice and engage with our dreams and visions. The increasing separation between thinking and feeling, mind and body, action and imagination, will and receptivity can lead to a somatization of problems. Underlying feelings of anxiety, depression etc. are not recognized as such but are experienced as physical symptoms such as tension of muscles and fascia etc. As this occurs below the level of ordinary awareness, problems at this level are expressed through dream images, irrational longings and obsessions, feelings of depression and anxiety, and especially bodily problems such as eating disorders, chronic tension and psychosomatic distress.
As a separation of Hun an Po may also occur due to weakness or unbalance of either the body or the spirit, both have to be taken care of in order to preserve enough harmony in their relationship. Thus for healing to occur it is not enough to focus on either the psychological or physiological aspect of a problem only. If a problem is analyzed and understood on an intellectual level this alone does not result in a change at the level of the body. Conversely focusing only on the body without insight or examination of the underlying thought processes may only temporarily relieve a symptom. As the Taoists see it, yin and yang are complementary parts of a whole, so if we choose one and try to block out the other, we upset nature's balance.
If we are out of balance we cannot fulfill our destiny which in Taoism is the discovery of our true nature (our Tao) and living a life in accordance with it. This is considered the true meaning and purpose of life and is especially relevant today as we tend to live in an out-of-balance culture that only values activity, productivity, and hard work so that we are often blocked, diverted or seduced to follow a path other than our own and end up living a life that is not suited to us.
The Spirits or the Soul are the tools that guide us in the search of our true inner being and it is therefore worth to engage with them by opening up the mind and heart to the sometimes subtle signals they give us and which can be discovered through intuition, feelings, inner vision, and dreams, as well as body signals. We should also learn to balance the overreliance on rational thought and planned action and be more trusting of the spontaneous wisdom of the Self which is expressing itself trough the Spirits.
The Taoist approach to following instinctive impulses is similar to the thinking of Jung who also advocates living in accord with our instincts. While cautioning that they must be handled correctly, Jung proposes that the natural impulses we find in ourselves are not arbitrary, but are connected to a divine inner authority. To live like this is difficult to accomplish as we are also try to fulfill the roles projected onto us by others and prescribed by the culture we live in. So in this life our task is to emancipate from the expectation society has put on us and have the courage to realize or own individual nature. The Taoists consider it the highest task to simultaneously live in two realms the ordinary sphere of human life and the transcendent reality of the Tao. This can only be achieved if we allow our soul to develop so that growth and change can happen.
As we have seen the relationship of the Hun and the Po is of particular relevance for a healthy balance between body and mind but as each of the spirits represent a particular psychological aspect of the human soul a proper functioning of all the spirits is necessary in order to live a fulfilled life.
Below is a description of all the five spirits, their function and their cosmological associations.
The Five Spirits
In Taoist thought the human body and mind are a reflection of the cosmos. This is a powerful and enduring symbol of the unity of creation which was much employed throughout history and in many cultural traditions. The analogy helped men to feel themselves an integral part of nature and not standing outside of it, as it is the case especially since Descartes’ radical disjunction of mind and matter, which breaks the bond of similitude and affinity between human self and the material world.
The inner world was seen as a microcosm that mirrored the patterns and rhythms of the outer world and human activity reflected the wider activity of nature. Therefore it was thought that through the study of the inner world man can learn to understand the greater and more abstruse mysteries of the cosmos of which he was part.
The Taoists, for who venerated mountains as holy places imagined the human body, including the inner world, as a mountain inhabited by deities and spirits (just as humans were constantly comparing their bodies with machines during the Industrial Revolution) and each spirit has its own cosmological association.
Shen – The Spirit of the Fire Element
Psychological function: awareness, inspiration, insight
Psychospiritual issue: knowing true self
Cosmological associations: starlight, lightning
In Taoist mythology the Shen or spirit comes to us directly from the stars at the moment of conception and during life lives in our heart. The Shen represents our capacity for consciousness and self-awareness. It controls and directs the movements of the qi on a physical, mental and emotional level. Thus, all bodily and psychic functions are organized by the Shen.
Furthermore the Shen endows us with the wisdom and insight to lead a life that resonates with our Tao (living your essence). In order to maintain a suitable resting place for the Shen, the heart must remain in a state of Wuwei (effortless action)- a state of personal harmony in which actions flow freely and instantly without forcing anything and a state of active receptivity. If in contrast the heart is filled with depression, worry, anger or despair the Shen will lose its resting place.
A healthy Shen shows in the sparkling of the eyes and a healthy complexion. When the Shen is strong there is a feeling of connection and awareness. A person with a balanced Shen has a clear idea of what she wants in life and the life she is leading is in accordance to her true nature.
Ways to cultivates the Shen
Meditation
The Hun – The Spirit of the Wood Element
Psychological functions: vision, imagination, direction, decision making
Psychospiritual issue: finding true path
Cosmological associations: clouds, mists
The Hun provides the Shen with intuition, vision and inspiration and the Shen in contrast provides some control and integration. It is associated with the clouds and mists of the natural world as it shares their volatile, swirling and moving nature.
As Giovanni Macocia points out the Hun provides movement to the psyche in many ways:
· movement of the soul out of the body as in dreaming
· movement out of one's everyday life as in life dreams and ideas
· movement towards the others in human relationships
· movement in terms of plans, projects, vision
· Movement in terms or creativity, inspiration.
The Hun is also responsible for maintaining sound, peaceful sleep with dreams that are beneficial to the soul and for emotional balance.
Ways to cultivate the Hun
Cleansing and tonifying herbs
Good nutrition, foods that nourish the blood and liver such as dark leafy green, grains and fish
Adequate sleep and time enough for dreaming
Walks in nature
The Yi – The Spirit of the Earth Element
Psychological function: setting intention, implantation and gestation of ideas
Psychospiritual issue: cultivating true purpose
Cosmological associations: soil, field, gardens
As already discussed on a psychological level, the Hun carries the light of the Shen into our lives as vision, clear sight and imagination. The Yi is the psychological force that impresses these visions and patterns onto the material substrate of our lives, which manifest as the patterns and actions we commit to over time that ultimately determine how our destiny unfolds.
The Yi represent the powers of the earth in us. The Yi are the psychological counterpart of the fertile fields and rich soil of the mountain meadows. They endow us with intention and purpose and give us the ability to plant our ideas into our actions so that they can manifest as the harvest of our lives.
The Yi supports our capacity for thought, intention, reflection and the act of applying ourselves to our heart’s purpose. They give us the ability to concentrate, study and memorize data for our work, and they endow us with the capacity for clear thought.
Ways to cultivate the Yi
Avoid clutter. When you work, clear a space so that there is room to think.
Make time to take care of yourself. Take time to rest, to walk, to just be quite
Take your own words seriously. If you say you are going to do something, hold yourself accountable. Yi means saying it and staying with it, so be mindful not to over-commit so that you fail to carry through. Each time we do not keep our word we create a chink in our own integrity and weaken the Yi.
Po- The Spirit of the Metal Element
Psychological function: embodied knowing, sensing
Psychospiritual issue: discovering the preciousness of the moment
Cosmological association: stones, gems, mineral, caves, labyrinths
Also referred to as the corporeal soul, representing our primal urges or animals instincts, which are beyond our conscious awareness and control. They are closely related to the autonomic nervous system and sensory perceptions. Psychologically, the Po is the realm of the body unconscious the sensations, emotions, talents, strengths and passions that are part of our innate neurological responses to life.
The Po is our embodied knowing. Deep below the level of our conscious ability to articulate in words what we think about a person, place or situation, the Po spirits already know- and, whether or not we realize it, our body has begun to respond by contracting or expanding, hardening or softening.
The expression of emotion is related to the Po since emotions are intrinsically related to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Emotions elicit involuntary instinctual responses at the level of the breath, the hormones, fascia and muscles, and these involuntary response are all related to the movement of the Po soul. The emotions are the aspect of psychic life that connects us horizontally to the world around us. They are the result of our visceral response to people and events we come in contact with and they are the way we move out from our centers toward the world.
Ways to cultivate the Po
The Po is responsible for the five senses, the limbs and the somatic emotional responses. In order to cultivate this spirt, all these areas should be addressed:
Listen to beautiful music
Use aromatherapy
Stretch and move
Develop meditation or conscious breathing practice
Zhi : The Spirit of the Water Element
Psychological functions: instinctual power, aligned will and courage
Psychospiritual issues: surrendering to Tao, returning to origin
Cosmological association: water, geysers
The Zhi represent our reproductive organs and the endocrine system. The Zhi connect us to the collective unconscious and our instinct to perpetuate life and give us courage to ally ourselves with our innate wisdom.
It is related to the power of the life force, the instincts, the will and the driving urgency of ambition. Zhi imbues us with the desire to grow, thrive and live fully. The realm of the Zhi spirits is the realm of what Vedic philosophers called karma, the realm of the unconscious forces and collective energy threads that determine the course of our lives. The Zhi are the psychological counterpart of the thermal geysers, the springs that spurt up from the underground.
Ways to cultivate the Zhi
Foot massage: The kidney meridian begins at a point called Bubbling Spring located ont eh bottom of the foot. Acupressure massage on this point will relax the body while it stimulates the kidney qi and revitalizes the Zhi
Meditation and guided imagery. These are especially important for the Zhi as a quite mind and subdued ego will allow us to listen to our subconscious desires.
Bibliography
Dechar, Lorie Eve: Five Spirits- Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological and Spiritual Healing Chrion Publications/Lantern Book. New York. 2006
Coward, Harold. 1996. “Taoism and Jung: Synchronicity and the Self”. Philosophy East and West 46 (4). University of Hawai'i Press: 477–95. doi:10.2307/1399493.
Larre, Claude and Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée. Rooted in Spirit: the Heart of Chinese Medicine. Translated by Sarah Stang. New York: Station Hill Press, 1995
Maciocia, Giovanni: Grundlagen der chinesischen Medizin. Urban & Fischer Verlag/Elsevier GmbH. Auflage 2. 2008
Rosen, David. The Tao of Jung: The Way of Integrity. Penguin Books USA Inc. New York. 1996
Wayman, Alex. 1982. “The Human Body as Microcosm in India, Greek Cosmology, and Sixteenth-century Europe”. History of Religions 22 (2). The University of Chicago Press: 172–90. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1062568.