Understanding Shen: The Heart-Mind Connection in Chinese Medicine

Shen reflects the quality of one's mind and self-awareness, deeply intertwined with heart health and blood flow.

### Understanding Shen: The Third Treasure in Chinese Medicine
* 🧠 Shen, often misunderstood as spirit, is actually the **quality of the mind and conscious awareness** in the context of Chinese medicine, emphasizing its interrelation with the **heart and blood**.
* 💔 "Shen is not spiritual, but it relates to our **intellect, sense of self, and conscious awareness**," which are all tied to the **heart's functioning**.
* 💧 The quality of one's Shen can be weak or disturbed, leading to **dullness in mental clarity or mild psychosis**, highlighting the importance of **blood quality and circulation** in overall health.
* 🔥 Internal arts training aims to enhance the **Shen** by allowing the mind to **permeate the body**, akin to a fluid soaking into a sponge, which subsequently improves **health and vitality**.
* ⚠ The acquired self often manifests as **pathogenic Qi**, which can hinder the mind's connection to the body, leading to **health issues that many people are unaware of**.
* 🔄 Traditional practices focus on purging this Sha Qi to restore balance, as the mind's reaction to **stressors is a significant contributor to physical ailments**.
* 🌌 While Shen can eventually lead to spiritual experiences, most individuals remain **trapped in their acquired selves**, lacking the necessary preparation to **handle deeper states of consciousness**.
* 💡 The journey towards true understanding of Shen involves recognizing the **nuances of one's mind and body**, ensuring that practices like meditation are approached with the **right foundation to be genuinely beneficial**.

What is Shen? | Foundations of Tonic Herbalism Sample

brandon gilbert

Shen is the third treasure, interconnected with the first two.

Shen is not spiritual or related to the spirit in the context of Chinese medicine.

Chinese medicine doesn't focus on the highest self or expression.

The Dao, a deeper mechanism of reality, is not a divine being.

Most people won't experience the spiritual aspect of Shen due to a specific process.

Shen's Practical Meaning: Mind and Awareness

Shen refers to the quality of mind, conscious awareness, and intellect.

Weak Shen manifests as dullness or mild psychosis (Shen disturbed).

Shen is associated with the heart (Xin) and sense of self.

Unlike Western views, Chinese philosophy locates the sense of self in the heart.

Shen's relationship to blood flow and its impact on overall health is highlighted.

Thinking good thoughts or being a good person isn't the key to cultivating Shen.

Most people are already good; the issue lies in disengagement and lack of creative capacity.

Internal arts focus on mind-body integration to improve Shen.

This philosophy doesn't prioritize fulfilling one's highest self or bliss.

Most people operate from their acquired self, not their core nature.

The acquired self is often associated with pathogenic Qi (Sha Qi).

Spiritual practices often only rearrange the acquired self, not fundamentally change it.

Ignoring the underlying issues leads to poor blood and Qi quality.

Sha Qi, pathogenic information, blocks the mind from fully integrating with the body.

The goal is to remove Sha Qi to improve health and well-being.

Chi gong aims to purge Sha Qi from the body.

The acquired nature is often the source of disease.

Shen can potentially lead to an experience of spirit (big Shen).

Most people are trapped in their acquired self and lack the capacity for this experience.

Substances like psychedelics can accelerate Jing-Chi-Shen conversion but lack proper preparation.

Without proper preparation, such experiences often lead to negative outcomes.

The experience of spirit might manifest as blinding white light in Taoism.