Emotions and Diseases
Author: Dr. Lee
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Time: 2010/11/20 16:56:47
Among the three major causes of diseases mentioned above, disorder of seven emotions is one of them. The so-called seven emotions include joy, anger, contemplation, grief, terror and fright. These are the normal emotions of human beings. But when they are suddenly and greatly changed, such as sudden great joy or terror or prolonged grief, they will cause diseases.
According to TCM, extreme changes of emotions may damage the viscera. Excessive anger damages the liver, excessive joy damages the heart, excessive contemplation damages the lung and excessive terror damages the kidney. Extreme changes of emotions may disturb the movement of qi. Qi is a philosophic concept in traditional Chinese culture and is thought to be the essence of the heaven and earth. It is invisible but vital for life.
Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine) says, "All kinds of diseases are caused by disorder of qi. Excessive anger drives qi to flow upwards, excessive joy slows the movement of qi, excessive grief exhausts qi, excessive terror drives qi to move downwards, excessive fright disturbs the flow of qi and excessive contemplation stagnates qi." Extreme changes of emotions also lead to disharmony between yin and yang. TCM believes that balance between yin and yang is prerequisite to the normal physiological activities. However extreme changes of emotions will inevitably affect such activities. For example, sudden excessive joy damages yang and sudden rage damages yin. Vomiting blood after a flare of rage is a typical example of such consequences.
The four points summarized by the later generation are interrelated to each other. In TCM, the concepts of yin- yang, viscera, qi and blood are not isolated, but interrelatedto each other.
In cultivation of health, the emphasis on regulation of emotions is to recommend people to maintain a normal mental state. Tao Hongjing said in his book entitled Yang Sheng Yan Shou Lu (Records about Cultivating Health and Prolonging Life), "The key to health cultivation is to avoid excessive grief and anxiety, which is known as harmonization. Those who can maintain a harmonized state of mind and body can enjoy a long life."
