The Shen: The Light of Awareness
In Chinese medicine, Shen (神) is often translated as spirit — but its meaning is more refined than the English word suggests. Shen is the animating consciousness that gives rise to awareness, clarity, compassion, and presence.
The Shen resides in the Heart, often called the “Emperor” of the body. Just as the heart governs blood circulation, the Shen governs the circulation of our consciousness. When the Shen is calm, the pulse is steady, the eyes are bright, and our inner world feels peaceful. When disturbed — by overthinking, grief, fear, or chronic stress — we may feel scattered, anxious, or disconnected from ourselves.
Acupuncture helps to anchor the Shen, calming the mind and restoring the dialogue between body and consciousness.
The Organs as Realms of Spirit
Each organ system in Chinese medicine has a physical function and an energetic, emotional, and spiritual one.
These spiritual aspects are known as the Five Spirits (Wu Shen):
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Shen (Heart) — governs consciousness, joy, and connection.
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Hun (Liver) — the ethereal soul, responsible for vision, direction, and our capacity to dream.
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Po (Lung) — the corporeal soul, tied to breath, instinct, and embodiment.
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Yi (Spleen) — the intellect, governing thought, focus, and understanding.
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Zhi (Kidney) — the will, the deep, quiet strength that allows endurance and faith.
When these spirits are aligned, the person feels integrated — thoughts are clear, emotions flow, the body is grounded. When they fall out of sync, the nervous system follows: insomnia, anxiety, rumination, or fatigue can arise.
Acupuncture works not only through nerves and hormones but also through this subtle network of relationships, reminding each aspect of spirit to return home.
Sun Simiao and the Ghost Points
During the Tang Dynasty, the great physician Sun Simiao (581–682 CE) compiled a group of acupuncture points known as the “Thirteen Ghost Points” (十三鬼穴, Shi San Gui Xue).
These points were used to treat what the ancient texts called “possession” — conditions in which the Shen was said to be disturbed or captured by external or internal forces.
“Possession” in classical Chinese medicine doesn’t mean the supernatural in the Hollywood sense. It refers to states of being overtaken — by obsession, addiction, trauma, grief, or overwhelming fear.
Today, we might describe these as emotional or energetic entanglements that disconnect us from our center.
The Ghost Points — including DU 26 (Gui Ren), PC 7 (Gui Xin), CV 24 (Gui Chuang), and others — were chosen for their ability to open the sensory portals, release constraint, and call the spirit back to presence.
They symbolically clear what Sun Simiao called the “ghosts of the heart,” helping a person reclaim their clarity and self-possession.
In modern practice, these points can be used gently and respectfully for patients feeling fragmented, haunted by the past, or stuck in cyclical emotional patterns. They serve as reminders that healing involves not only the body but the return of the self to itself.
The Nervous System Connection
From a biomedical view, acupuncture helps regulate the autonomic nervous system — shifting the body from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest.”
It lowers stress hormones, balances heart-rate variability, and enhances vagal tone.
From a Chinese-medicine perspective, this physiological settling is the anchoring of Shen: the heart becomes quiet, the Po (body) and Hun (vision) align, and the person experiences embodied calm.
When the nervous system settles, the mind becomes clear enough for the spirit to shine through — this is the essence of healing in both ancient and modern terms.
This Season of Thin Veils
As autumn deepens, nature turns inward. In many traditions, this is the time when the veil between visible and invisible worlds grows thin.
Chinese medicine sees this as an invitation to tend the spirit — to grieve, release, and return to stillness.
A treatment focusing on Shen-calming and Ghost Points can be especially grounding during this time of transition, helping you feel more fully present in your body and less pulled by the noise of the world.
