Subject: Re: acupuncture

From: [email-masked] (Pankaj Seth)
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 1995 13:59:36 +0500

On Thu, 09 Mar 1995 17:04:13 Romel Cordeiro wrote:  

>Question:  Is there any neurological involvement when an acupuncture point

>is stimulated?  
>  
>We know that acupuncture stimulation has influence in the regulation of 
the  
>specific function of the organ.  For example, if the stomach is in excess 
or  
>hyperfunctioning;  
>we can use points to calm this excess function.  We understand that there 
is  
>no possibility of any function  
>without the neurologic process or connection.  So how is the relation  
>between the acupuncture qi message sent by the stimulation of a specific  
>point to that neurologic activity connected directly with that organ 
function?  
>  
>Hoping to hear from you soon.  
>  
>Nimai.  
>  
  
I like the dermatome model as far as a neurological explanation goes.  
Every vertrebral segment has internal (organ, smooth muscle) connections as

well as external (skeletal muscle, skin) connections.  For example, legs 
are covered by lumbar and sacral segments.  Legs have points to address 
digestive, eliminative, reproductive, urinary, adrenal (qi, yang) 
functions.  Lumbar and sacral segments innervate these very same organs.  
Following below is a copyrighted article with more info.  I hope this 
stimulates discussion.  
  
Pankaj Seth, N.D.  
  
                             QI & MERIDIANS (A systems approach)  

What is a meridian?  
  
It is a pathway of least resistance for a type of impulse or movement.  It 
does not have any discernible physical structure like other pathways; e.g. 
blood vessels, nerves.  Also, it does not conduct any discernible material 
substance (matter).  Thus, meridians are best thought of in terms of what 
is not matter; namely, energy.  
  
Matter and energy are not opposites but exist along a continuum.  Matter 
refers to that aspect of one s experience which is directly discernible via

the 5 senses.  If we have a reason to suspect the existence of something 
which we cannot discern via the 5 senses then we create a category called  
energy  in order to make sense of our experience which suggests that there 
is something more than what is discernible via the 5 senses.  
  
Energy performs work; i.e. is the causative agent of a discerned change.  
That something is different than it was means that some  work  was done; 
also, some energy must have been utilized in order to perform the  work  
(change).  When we move a muscle, we cause a change.  The energy for this 
change comes from the ATP molecule which powers the molecules in the muscle

proteins.  The ATP turns into ADP and in the process some energy is 
released which is utilized to move the muscle.  This is an everyday example

of matter turning into energy; we can also see this as the storage of 
energy as matter which is then liberated in order to perform work.  The 
movement of the muscle is discernible via the 5 senses; the energy-matter 
interchange at the molecular level is not.  By using technology to enhance 
our senses we can detect matter (ATP) where before we would have to create 
the category  energy  in order to conceptualize the movement of muscles.  
  
We have seen with technology that matter and energy are very closely 
related; in fact, what we can discern via the senses (with or without 
technology) can be categorized as  matter  and what is not discernible via 
the senses (with of without technology) is categorized as  energy .  The 
energy source behind muscles is ATP; proceeding logically, there is 
something behind ATP as well which we can call energy.  The energy source 
behind ATP is the province of physics (atoms and sub-atomic  particles ); 
we can always say that behind whatever we understand our world to be made 
of there is a an energic "structure" that we cannot discern.  
  
This energy source can only be given a name because nothing about can be 
known; that is, if something is known then it falls into the category of  
matter  and we must again inquire about the energy source which powers this

very subtle matter.  Whatever it is that powers the discernible world has 
been given various names by different cultures.  The western scientific 
world calls it the  virtual state , the Indians call it  Prana  and the 
Chinese call it  Qi ; some call it  God .  
  
In western terms, the virtual state is ultimately behind everything, but 
this understanding belongs only to physicists and does not permeate popular

culture.  In the West, there is a big difference  between the deepest 
understanding of the universe and how the world is usually perceived (by 
popular western culture).  The western medical system is based on the 
popular understanding of the universe and not the deep understanding which 
exists only in the world of physics and philosophy.  The Chinese medical 
system is based on a deep understanding of the universe.  In Chinese 
terminology, whatever stands behind the world of form is Qi.  
  
Qi is said to be everywhere because it cannot be understood as matter 
(which exists in time and space).  Matter has definite duration; it exists 
in time.  Matter has definite dimensions; it exists in space.  Whatever 
cannot be defined in terms of time and space is Qi; Thus, Qi is beyond the 
concepts of space and time.  
  
Qi is everywhere at all times so we are also Qi; that is, we can be seen as

matter as well as energy.  Though energy exists everywhere it favours 
certain locations where is tends to collect; this is simply what our 
experience tells us.  An area where it tends to collect is quite simply an 
especially powerful area.  Energy performs work and if we can access energy

then we can cause work to be performed.  The on-off switch of a machine is 
an area whereby we can access the energy of that machine.  For the body, 
there are especially powerful areas where we can access the energy of the 
body to perform work (healing work); this is simply what our experience 
tells us.  By blowing our nose we perform work; we cause the discharge of 
mucous.  Similarly, there are other areas of the body through which we can 
cause other types of work to be performed; these areas are known as 
acu-points.  The acu-points are distributed all over the body and their 
functions are known through experience.  
  
Just as different aspects of the matter of the body (organs etc.) have 
specific locations and functions the acu-points also.  Just as various 
parts of the body that have the same or related functions can be seen as a 
system, the acupoints also; these systems are known as meridians; they are 
a group of acu-points which when variously connected form a definite 
pattern or pathway.  That fact that the points on a given meridian have a 
very similar function means that they are related or connected.  The 
connectedness of these acu-points can be seen as evidence of a 
communicating network or a meridian.  The whole body is interconnected but 
certain connections are stronger than others.  The acu-points on a meridian

show a very strong interconnection.  Accessing acu-points also causes work 
to be performed on the different organs and other structures of the body; 
often, sensitive individuals can detect sensations in various parts of the 
body when a particular meridian or a particular acu-point is accessed.  
This experience has led to the matured meridian model which shows specific 
relationships between different acu-points/meridians and body parts/ 
functions.  
  
Accessing an acu-point causes change in the body which cannot be explained 
by any single physical communicating structure (nerves, blood vessels) 
causing this change; that is, the blood vessels and nerves in the vicinity 
of the acu-point do not always have direct access to those body 
areas/functions which are caused to change via the  acu-point.  The 
areas/functions which are affected are innervated and have blood supply but

these may not have any direct connections to the blood vessels and nerves 
in the vicinity of the acu-point.  Clearly, something more complex is 
occurring than can be explained by the direct nervous and blood vessels 
connected.  The western model of the body sees the nerves and blood vessels

as the only communicating networks and if a communication is observed to 
occur which cannot be explained by the network of blood vessels and nerves 
then western medicine  is confounded.  
  
Clearly, the body is more completely interconnected than what is explained 
by the pathways of blood vessels and nerves.  The phenomenon of the 
meridians not only accounts for the what is accounted by blood vessels and 
nerves but much more; it is of a higher order of complexity.  The meridian 
model accepts all possible interconnections between different body 
parts/functions and it does not rely upon any physically discernible 
pathway.  For the meridian model, experience guides the building of the 
model (experience first, model second).  In the western anatomical model, 
the blood vessels and nerves allow only a portion of the interconnections 
that our experience shows; western medicine is limited because it s world 
view is not broad enough to see the body as any more complex & ordered than

a network of blood vessels and nerves, and life as any more than a random 
chance event in the universe.  In fact, if it is not measurable in some 
mechanical way than it cannot be proven; and until something is proven it 
does not exist.  For example, the link between cigarette smoking and lung 
cancer, between diet and health was not accepted by the western world view 
until the studies came in.  How can a study ever be designed which will 
measure what is called  spirituality  and its connection to health; the 
current western model is destined to underestimate the complexity, beauty 
and power of the universe.  
  
If the body were just the blood vessels and nothing more then blood vessels

would explain the observed intercommunication (an example is a river with 
its tributaries; water flow can be explained by the following the course of

the river basin).  The above can also be said of the nervous system.  
However, the body is a whole made up of many parts including blood vessels,

nerves, muscles, bone, skin, organs and much more and no one part by itself

can explain the complex interconnections which exist.  The body is of a 
very high level of complexity and order and the interconnections which 
exist are not predictable from the known structure of any single part when 
taken by itself or analysed in individualistic terms.  The whole is greater

than the sum of its parts.  
  
A tissue or system singly cannot account for the sensations/discerned 
movements related to the meridians.  The sensations/discerned movements are

the sum total of the functions/ activities of the different tissues/systems

of the body.  
  
More than one tissue or system acting together gives rise to a phenomenon 
which is not predictable from the known structure/function of any single 
tissue/system when taken by itself or analysed in individualistic terms.  
for example, hydrogen has specific, known properties; oxygen has specific, 
known properties.  H2O or water arises when neither H & O exist as 
individual entities. The wetness or specific gravity of water is not 
predictable from knowledge of the individuals H & O.  The whole is greater 
than the sum of its parts.  
  
The meridian system represents a system of higher order complexity then any

of its constituent individual parts.  
Observation gives opportunity to formulate organizational structures which 
are directly related to the perspective chosen.  A distinctly psychic 
perspective gives rise to the psychological model with its constituent 
parts; ego, self, superego etc.  A distinctly physical perspective gives 
rise to the physical-anatomical model of the body; this model clearly does 
not account for all that is observed about the body.  A functional-energic 
perspective gives rise to the meridian model, also the chakra model (but 
that is another story).  
  
copyright 1992 Pankaj Seth, N.D.   (Renaissance Naturopathic Centre)  
(Toronto)