re: TCM the subject of demons / possession

[Guest guest]

In a following message I will send an edition of my notes from some

Jeffery Yuen lectures on the topic. (About 6 pages).

 

I have done some research into the chracters, from Jeffery's use

(written on the white board), and my dictionaries. The range and

meanings appear the very close to the material shared with

us (from his teacher). In the course of the class notes I cite the

pinyin+tone (e.g. gu3) and usually a description of the character,

i.e. what radicals compose it. An integral part of Jeffery's teaching

involves elucidating the Chinese characters, their various meanings,

homonyms, and related characters (in terms of radicals used); and

especially the nuances of meaning related to the particular topic or

the relevant historical writings/periods. I often prod him for more

information in this area, which he always readily provides.

 

Also similar to Lonny Jarret's information, as hinted in another

message from John K (although I haven't seen Lonny's book). I did look

at Lucy Rantzen's item in another forum on Worsley Dragon treatments

(http://forums.acupuncture.net.au/viewtopic.php?t=46). The actual

points could be easily interpreted along the lines of Jeffery's

information on treatment. But lacking, as Z'ev and Lonny point out,

indication of the rationale, in this case behind the points

(actions/functions), and that would be incorporated into treatment in

terms of intentionality.

 

Relating all this to the Schizophrenia thread of discussion. When

Jeffery talks about high-level treatment strategy, he will often

mention that the practitioner has to be able and willing to " take-on "

the condition his/herself, in some sense. Part of this is a measure of

the strength or power of the patient and/or condition. (All

strength/power is qi; qi is amoral, i.e. only in relation to something

else, some context, can it be said to be " good " or " bad " ; e.g. as

often dramatized in kungfu movies.) If the practitioner isn't up to

it, he/she should pass on it (try to refer out, if possible). The

other side of this is the ability, having " taken-on " the condition,

and participated, so to speak, with the patient in the treatment, one

should have the ability subsequently to " let it go " – neither attach

to it, not allow being attached-to by it (i.e. things that lend

themselves to the metaphor of entities, demons).

 

Another aspect of the topic is that it is closely related, actually or

metaphorically, to death. Possession, East and West, involves the

death of the host personality, if not, ultimately, of the body too. In

a cultural context (speaking here of the USA) where the topic of death

is generally aggressively repressed, there's little cultivation of

skillfulness in accepting or dealing with it. Herein lies, perhaps,

some added value in the study of topics we've been touching on recently.