How did the meridians come from? There is a kind of "meridian sensitive person" in the world.
Meridian: existence, but unknown.
Although the essence of meridians can not be fully revealed by modern people's concepts or knowledge systems, too many irrefutable medical examples and various modern research methods have confirmed the existence of meridians from different aspects.
Modern research on meridians probably began in the late 1970s, and the first methods used were popular physical methods, such as sound, light, electricity, heat and magnetism.
Such as electricity. At that time, the resistance of meridians was measured and found to be lower than that of non-meridians, so it was concluded that meridians are good conductors.
It is concluded that the meridian gas running in the meridians may be bioelectricity.
Later, from the aspects of sound, light, heat and magnetism. We found some other things that can be measured with these related instruments. Therefore, it can only be said that bioelectricity may be one of the essence of meridians, not the whole.
Further, it is to use radioactive isotope tracing observation technology to see if this isotope can walk in meridians.
The results show that the element basically follows the classic meridian route, especially the limbs, and its route is basically consistent with the classic route.
At the same time, there is a contrast, that is, if this radioisotope is placed in the non-meridian parts of the human body, it will not move.
This can at least explain one problem: something is flowing in the meridians, which can drive the movement of this radioisotope.
So, what is this material flow in the body? Let's put it this way: it should be a complex comprehensive effect, and you can't easily explain it with a certain substance.
So up to now, everyone has honestly used the original name of Chinese medicine-"Qi" to cover it up.
Because it flows through the meridians, it is called "Qi of Meridian".
Meridian: A Challenge to Western Medicine
Such a seemingly invisible but actually "existing" system is a challenge to western structural science and even the whole western medical concept.
Of course, on the other hand, if western science can open its arms, I believe we can also get some enlightenment from it.
Meridian phenomenon is a matter of course for oriental medicine, which takes practicality as its ultimate goal, and has the characteristics of emphasizing Taoism over apparatus, emphasizing image over body, and emphasizing function over structure.
Before modern science fully understands the essence of meridians, people generally like to use the term "meridian phenomenon" to express their understanding of the phenomenon, and to express the essence of phenomena that are not fully understood or difficult to fully understand.
For Chinese medicine, it is not unreasonable to talk about meridian phenomenon, because meridian phenomenon is also a kind of "image", which coincides with the image system of Chinese medicine.
But for the essence of such an image, TCM is clear. In order to find out this problem, we might as well trace back to the source and start with the origin of meridians.
Statement 1: meridian generated from point to line
It is generally believed that there are three possibilities for the ancient meridian phenomenon, from being concerned to the application process of clinical and health preservation, and then to the establishment of the system: one is point to line, the other is line to point, and the third is the combination of point and line.
Let's talk about the first point. What is "from point to area"?
Simply put, it is to find acupuncture points first, and then connect them together to form meridians.
Generally speaking, ancient people in China instinctively used some primitive massage techniques when they were sick, and some diseases could be alleviated by stimulating some acupoints of the human body.
Further develop needles with stronger physical stimulation, such as original needle stone, farther metal needle, or fire-related moxibustion.
From unintentional discovery to conscious search, the points of therapeutic experience are constantly accumulating and increasing. They are connected together like a string of pearls, forming a meridian combining points and lines.
This statement is most in line with the cognitive psychology of ordinary people, and it is also in line with what we usually call "medicine is discovered, invented or accumulated by working people in their daily work and life practice", which belongs to the viewpoint of seeking external laws in typical scientific research.
However, this understanding has a weakness that is difficult to explain, because of the 20 meridians of the twelve meridians and Eight Meridians, only the twelve meridians and Rendu have acupoints, so they were previously called Fourteen Meridians.
Then someone asked: are there no acupuncture points in the other six meridians of the odd meridian? In fact, it can't be said that it doesn't exist at all, but their acupoints are borrowed from other meridians, that is to say, when their acupoints intersect or merge with other meridians, they are together with others' acupoints, which is essentially other meridians.
Then, if we say that from acupoints to meridians, from acupoints to lines, apart from Ren Du's two meridians, how did the other six meridians of the odd meridians and eight meridians come from? It looks a little strange.
More importantly, there are not only 14 meridians with acupoints floating along the body surface, but also internal meridians without acupoints, which can not be perfectly explained by the dotted line theory.
Thus, there is a second saying, that is, from line to point.
Statement 2: Generating Meridians from Lines to Points
In fact, this statement is a legend felt through the scriptures. In other words, various senses along the meridians are the main basis for describing the meridians.
In other words, find the meridians first, and then find the acupoints.
A typical saying is that people who practiced Qigong in ancient times may have a feeling that Qi follows a certain route, such as water flow, wind blowing, spider walking and ant crawling, which is basically the same or similar to the classic meridian route.
This is not difficult to be partially confirmed by modern practitioners, that is, the internal proof method and the internal seeking method we mentioned before.
From line to point, it may make the discovery process of meridians much faster, and it can also vaguely explain the existence of internal routes, but this statement is not without weaknesses.
People who have practiced Qigong or similar practices may have experience:
The sensory conduction of qi is generally obvious on the body surface, which can be linear and generally consistent with the meridian route. But in the body, it is mostly diffuse and dense, or fuzzy, flaky or columnar, and rarely forms a clear linear feeling.
Then, the third statement came out, called the point-line coincidence theory.
Statement 3: the combination of points and lines produces meridians.
In fact, it is a combination of the first and second ideas.
This speculation is not divorced from the ancient primitive massage and acupuncture. These physical stimuli act on the human body, and after initially finding some acupoints, they may produce gas sensations such as acid, numbness, heaviness, bloating, water flow or airflow. This feeling can also be transmitted along the meridians.
Modern people are used to calling this kind of person with obvious sense of following the meridian "meridian sensitive person". People with sensitive meridians account for nearly one-third of the population.
Then based on this, the presentation of meridians does not need to be explored one by one, and then connected. Just stimulate a few known acupoints, you can feel the meridians and find the whole meridian route.
Then find more acupoints on the meridians, which greatly speeds up the discovery and improvement of meridian acupoints.
To tell the truth, the feeling of learning from the scriptures alone is uncertain, because it is a feeling after all, and its route clarity is somewhat doubtful.
At this time, another kind of person appeared. This kind of person can be said to be super sensitive among people with sensitive meridians, less than 1% of the population.
When acupuncture or other physical stimulation methods are used to stimulate acupoints, it can be manifested as red lines, white lines, rashes, pitching and subcutaneous induration on the body surface along the meridians. Some people have only one meridian, while others can have multiple meridians.
I have read at least three cases myself. Don't misunderstand it as a red line and a white line rash, but it is not. Their colors are very bright and clear.
As long as there are such people, it is easy to handle. The ancients can constantly poke holes in it, show its classics, and then describe it truthfully. Isn't this a clear and accurate meridian road map?
If you are not at ease, you can find such people to do repeated verification.
The point-line coincidence theory can basically solve the problem that there are acupuncture points in the body surface route. But without acupoints, it is still impossible to explain the body surface and the meridians of the body.
The origin of meridians and the formation of meridian theory have a history of thousands of years. For thousands of years, the theory of meridians has become an important theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine, which was used by ancient doctors to explain the physiology and pathology of traditional Chinese medicine and play its role in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases. So, how did ancient physicians know the meridian entity?
Why did the ancients think that meridians actually existed?
1. Meridian visible
In Huangdi Neijing, meridians are called "meridians". "Lingshu Jing" cloud: floating pulse, dredging pulse as collateral. "Why can collaterals be seen on the body surface?" "Jing" pointed out: "The collaterals are horizontal and shallow, so the face is easy to see." The ancients thought that the meridians distributed in the depths of the body could be observed by human anatomy. "Lingshu Water Mirror" said: "The husband is eight feet, and the meat is here, which can be measured and cut. It is dirty and brittle, with the size of volts, the number of valleys, the length of veins, the turbidity of blood ... and many of them are.
"Through direct anatomical observation, the ancients discovered the distribution law of meridians, that is," including meridians, the branches are collaterals "("Lingshu Pulse Degree "), and calculated the specific length of meridians:" The hand is six yang, and the hand is five feet long or five or six feet long from head to head; The six yin of the hand, from hand to chest, is three feet five inches, three feet six feet eight feet, five feet six feet three feet, or two feet one foot; The foot of six yang, self-sufficient to the head, eight feet, six feet, eight feet, eight feet; Six yin feet, self-sufficient to the chest, are six feet five inches, six feet three feet six feet, five feet three feet, three feet nine feet; Pulse from foot to eye, 7 ft 5 in, 27 1 ft 4 ft, 25 1 ft, 1 ft 5 ft; The Du meridian and Ren meridian are 4 feet 5 inches, 248 feet, 25 1 foot or 9 feet respectively. Everything is 16 feet 2 feet, and this gas also passes through the tunnel. "
Su Wen's meridian theory also clearly points out that meridians have five different colors: green, red, yellow, white and black. The color of yin collaterals is the same as that of meridians, while the color of yang collaterals changes with the cold and heat of the four seasons.
2. Viscera and external collateral
"On Shu Hai" said: "the twelve meridians belongs to the zang-fu organs, and the external collaterals are in the limbs." Su Wen-tiao said: "The way of the five internal organs comes from the tunnel." Meridian belongs to zang-fu organs, and zang-fu organs are connected with meridians. Like a big tree, they have roots and stems, branches and leaves. Therefore, Neijing vividly said: "Meridians are branches and leaves of viscera; Zang-fu organs are the basis of meridians.
From the records of the twelve meridians and the twelve meridians in Ling Shu Jing and Ling Shu Jing Bie, it can be seen that each meridian belongs to a dirty or dirty organ during its circulation, and at the same time, it is inextricably linked with internal and external organs. Yin meridian belongs to dirty collateral, while Yang meridian belongs to inner collateral. In addition, it is also related to other internal organs. These are all further discoveries based on human anatomy.
In the connection with limbs, Lingshu Shun Di pointed out: "Dirty hands, dirty hands, dirty feet, dirty feet." Meridian runs up and down along the direction of walking, symmetrical from head and trunk to bones in all parts of limbs. In addition, the Eight Meridians, Twelve Meridians, Twelve Meridians, Twelve Skin and Numerous Collaterals are further linked to make the whole body closely connected.
3. Meridian is the channel of qi and blood.
Classical literature has a very detailed record of meridian qi and blood circulation. For example, "On Mai Jing Yao Wei" said: "The husband's pulse is also the blood of the family." Note: "Fu, for also. Blood volume gathers in meridians. " "Lingshu Water Mirror" said: "Those who receive blood must camp." "Lingshu Hometown" said: "Meridian, so blood and yin and yang ... are the popularization of blood meridian." "Twenty-three Difficult Classics" points out: "Those who know the meridians are also proud of being right." "Classic Collection" says: "People's qi and blood often run in the twelve meridians." Acupuncture Dacheng also said: "the twelve meridians, fifteen collaterals, the outer cloth is the way of qi and blood." All these are to show that meridians are the way of qi and blood circulation, and this path has the characteristics of "yin and yang are connected, such as endless life" (spiritual fulcrum nutrition will give birth to society).
Because the length of Yin and Yang meridians is different, and the depth of Yin and Yang collaterals is different, the twelve meridians's qi and blood volume is also different, which was discovered by ancient physicians. Regarding the amount of qi and blood in each meridian, the statements in Nine Needles of Lingshu, Five Yin Wu Guards of Lingshu and Su Wen's Journal of Hematology are consistent, although not quite consistent. "Lingshu Nutrition Health Club" said: "Camp is in the pulse, and Wei is outside the pulse." Who is angry; Camp, blood also. "Lingshu Pulse Degree" says: "Yin pulse respects its viscera, while Yang pulse respects its viscera." This is the ancient people's specific understanding that meridians have their own circulatory system.
Due to the limitation of social and historical conditions and scientific and technological level, the ancients failed to further explain the essence of meridians, which requires us to make in-depth and detailed discussion and research on the essence of meridians on the basis of predecessors and using modern scientific knowledge.