5 Spirits May 18, 2009
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Philosophy,Psychology,Wisdom Notes , trackbackSerious investigators of the human predicament have one thing in common. They want to know what the essence of a human being really is. Not the personality or the temperament, but the essence – the core as it were – of the whole person. Thousands of years ago, the sages of the East mapped this out and explained that the whole person is an aggregate of 5 Spirits. These must be properly assembled in order to restore balance and harmony. So what are these 5 spirits? What are they associated with? How do they operate in the context of behavior? Can they be nurtured?
According to the principles of Oriental Medicine, the 5 Spirits are housed not only in the human body, but in the organs of the body and are also identifiable in terms of the functions they actually perform. Conjoining each of them literally completes the human picture and yet often a failure to do so contributes to the drama, especially when these functions are disturbed. Without balance and harmony of the 5 Spirits, purpose remains elusive. Compassion lies dormant. Transformation is hindered. Body and Psyche separate. In a nutshell, purpose can never align with Will.
So what are these 5 Spirits?
The Spirit of Wood emerges as the messenger of Soul’s purpose.
Disturbances here can be found in people who suffer from an inability to organize their lives and who blame others for their lack of progress in life. Other common problems include timidity, an inability to take a stand, aimless wandering, suffering from a lack of direction, starting but not finishing projects, constantly running into obstacles, and obsessions with injustice.
The cure is to leave no stone unturned in an effort to connect with spirituality on some level and in so doing establish a relationship to the part one may play in bringing the message closer to home.
The Spirit of Fire awakens compassion.
Disturbances can be found in people who find living in the world too intense and numbing out is an effective if not dangerous coping mechanism. Other common problems include a lack of inspiration, ambivalence, lack of coherence, lack of insight, aimless activity, no discernment.
The cure is to open up and not shut down.
The Spirit of Earth supports manifestation and transformation.
Disturbances here can be found in the inability to transform ideas and thoughts into commitments and actions, continually generating new ideas without taking action, an inability to digest life experiences and assimilate them.
The cure is find a way to put an end to worry and obsession.
The Spirit of Metal conjoins the soma and the psyche.
Disturbances can be found in in unexpressed somatized emotional issues, extreme sensitivity to externals, having no clear sense of why things are not quite right.
The cure is develop an awareness of what is actually happening in the body. This can be achieved through exercises such as Tai Chi.
The Spirit of Water aligns purpose with Will.
Disturbances here can be found in people who are drained by life instead of empowered by it, an inability to face fears, those who suffer from complete disintegration of the nervous system, neurasthenia, burn-out, and the repression of instinctual impulses.
The cure is to stop and repair the foundation.
When the 5 Spirits are once again in balance and harmony, the liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney mutually support each other. This is the challenge for the present and future practitioner and patient who will need to understand the mechanics of wholeness on a more intimate level if progress is to be made on the path.
Comments»
Is this the same as SHEN (Spitit) YI (Mind) ZHI (Will) HUN (Ethereal Soul) and PO (Corporeal Soul) of Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Yes.