01 Introduction

Traditional herbal medicine emphasizes the significant impact emotions have on our health, particularly sudden bursts of emotion. Emotions are categorized into seven types: anger, joy, thought, worry, sadness, fear, and shock, collectively known as the seven emotions. However, worry and sadness, as well as fear and shock, are closely related and can be combined, reducing the seven emotions to five:

• Anger
• Joy
• Thought
• Sadness
• Fear

The term “overuse of emotions” refers to drastic changes in these emotions, which can harm the internal organs, each corresponding to one of the five emotions. Essentially, emotions affect the movement of vital yuanqi, which in turn impacts the internal organs.

02 The Damage Caused by Joy

To illustrate the damage joy can cause, consider the story of Fan Jin, a scholar who finally passed the imperial examination at age fifty after many attempts. Overwhelmed with joy, he went mad. His father-in-law, a butcher, slapped him, and Fan Jin suddenly regained his senses.

Traditional herbal medicine explains this through the Theory of Vital Yuanqi Circulation. Vital yuanqi, created by the spleen, travels to the liver, rises to the heart, descends to the lungs, and finally reaches the kidneys. When Fan Jin experienced a violent emotional fluctuation, the vital yuanqi in his lungs rushed upward to the heart, blocking the heart meridian and causing temporary madness. The slap from his feared father-in-law reversed the flow of vital yuanqi, restoring his consciousness.

03 The Damage Caused by Anger

According to traditional herbal medicine, anger damages the liver subsystem. When a person is angry, his vital yuanqi rises, causing redness in the face and bloodshot eyes. This phenomenon is known as “Anger causes Yuanqi to Rise.”

The liver is responsible for raising vital yuanqi, which should circulate slowly and steadily. If it rushes up forcefully, it can cause damage, similar to a tornado. When this happens, the liver’s function is disrupted, and the metallic lung-gold takes over, producing harmful energy. According to the Wuxing Theory, metal overcomes wood, damaging the liver-wood. Thus, “Anger will damage the Liver.”

04 The Damage Caused by Sadness

Sadness, according to traditional herbal medicine, damages the lung subsystem. Prolonged sadness depletes vital yuanqi, hampering bodily functions and potentially leading to death. The lungs, responsible for immunity, use vital yuanqi to defend against external invaders. Long-term sadness increases the burden on the lungs, leading to damage.

05 The Damage Caused by Fear

Fear affects the kidney subsystem. For example, Huang Yuanyu died after witnessing a traumatic event. Fear caused his vital energy to run downward, harming the kidney subsystem. Normally, vital energy circulates back to the kidneys for storage, but fear disrupts this process.

When vital yuanqi cannot rise, a person may appear pale and experience an accelerated heart rate. Severe fear can also lead to uncontrolled urination and defecation, as the kidneys control these functions.

A case from Dr. Guo Yaning who practices in Xian, China, illustrates this. In the late 1990s, a child became mute after a cold and fever. After many failed treatments, the father brought the child to see Dr. Guo. Dr. Guo suggested the child’s father take him to a high city wall and threaten to disown him if he didn’t speak. The frightened child eventually called out “daddy,” and his muteness was cured. The fear caused his vital yuanqi to rush downward, clearing the blockage in his lung meridian.

06 Brief Summary

While Western medicine may view some illnesses as minor, traditional herbal medicine treats them as serious threats. Emotions are taken very seriously, as sudden and uncontrolled emotions can damage internal organs. It’s crucial to address emotional disturbances promptly.

Reading articles on our website can help you recognize and address these issues in daily life, protecting your health.

07 What is Next

We have discussed the importance of the spleen-stomach subsystem for our health. We have also discussed the emotional impact. Next we will discuss the equally important kidney subsystem.

For more on Huang Yuanyu’s herbal medical theories and his contributions to traditional herbal medicine, and how they help to rejuvenate our health, stay tuned for the next episode.

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