Crucially, the Hun (Liver) and Po (Lung) interact to produce the dream state (Maciocia, 2009). A Liver Qi stagnation often manifests as frustrated, repetitive dreams, whereas Lung Qi deficiency yields a sense of existential heaviness. Within the Five Shen hierarchy, the Heart ( Xin ) is supreme. The Neijing states: “The Heart is the monarch of all organs and houses the Shen.” The Chinese character for “thinking” (思, si ) places the radical for “heart” (心) over the radical for “brain” (囟), indicating that cognition is a heart-brain phenomenon.
The Psyche in Chinese Medicine: From the Five Shen to the Heart-Mind (Xin) the psyche in chinese medicine pdf
| Organ (Zang) | Shen Entity | Psychological Function | Dysfunction (Psychopathology) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Shen | Consciousness, memory, sleep, joy | Insomnia, delirium, inappropriate laughter, shock | | Liver (Gan) | Hun (Ethereal Soul) | Planning, creativity, night dreams, direction | Depression, indecision, nightmares, anger | | Lung (Fei) | Po (Corporeal Soul) | Instinct, bodily sensations, grief | Chronic grief, inability to let go, low vitality | | Kidney (Shen) | Zhi (Will) | Ambition, memory, drive, fear | Lack of willpower, phobias, paranoia, ADHD | | Spleen (Pi) | Yi (Intellect) | Focus, memorization, rumination | Obsessive thinking, poor concentration, worry | Crucially, the Hun (Liver) and Po (Lung) interact
