-
Archives
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- June 2023
- April 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- November 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- May 2021
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- July 2019
- June 2018
- March 2018
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- August 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- September 2015
- July 2015
- February 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- September 2014
- July 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- May 2013
- March 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- September 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
-
Meta
Tag Archives: qi in chinese medicine
Featured Article
Living the Integral Way of Life By: Michelle Wood What Is an Integralist? One of the topics dear to my heart is balance and harmony, both the inner balance and harmony of your body systems and organs working perfectly, and … Continue reading
Scientific Qi Exploration. Part1. Qi in Chinese Medicine
Before any scientific investigation of Qi, the concept of Qi and its properties in Chinese philosophy must be known, in order to judge how closely any modern scientific interpretation fits.
Qi is a fundamental concept or terminology in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with multiple levels of meanings. If you read enough in TCM, you would find that TCM seems to use “qi” to describe almost all invisible forces that affect human lives and health. More specifically, Qi can describe the invisible forces both outside and inside the human body in many different ways (1). We will introduce some of these uses here as we lay out some basic background of Qi in Chinese philosophy and culture.
Qi might have been first discussed by Chinese philosophers (2). Huai Nan Zi, a Daoist book around 122 B.C., states that the Dao originated from Emptiness and Emptiness produced the universe. The universe produced Qi. Here it was most likely referred to qi energy outside of body.
Zhang Zai (1020-1077) said that the Great Void consists of Qi. Qi condenses to become the myriad of things. He clearly understood the concept of the matter-energy continuum, in the sense of modern physics, even though these ideas were conceived centuries later. He also saw the indestructibility of matter-energy as revealed by his statement “Qi in dispersion is substance and so is it in condensation.” “Qi forms myriads of things” implies that Qi must also involve information, in modern terminology. He also said that every birth is a condensation and every death a dispersal of Qi. Thus, just as “Qi” is the energetic foundation of the universe, it is also the physical and spiritual substratum of human life. Zhu Xi (1131-1200) confirmed that Qi condensing can form beings and the conservation of energy, when he stated: “When dispersing, Qi makes the Great Void, only regaining its original misty feature, but not perishing; when condensing it becomes the origin of all beings.”
From these classic discussions (and the recent research findings to be presented later), we should say that a modern scientific explanation of Qi must involve aspects of matter, energy, and information, which remind us of the new finding in modern physics, the “hidden dimensions.” Continue reading
Posted in Scientific Qi Exploration
Tagged Kevin Chen, Marty Eisen, qi in chinese medicine, what is Qi
6 Comments