Acupuncture - the art of transformative attunement

Acupuncture is highly effective in treating physical pain but this represents only a fraction of its true power.

Unlike Western medicine, which is focused primarily on the physical body, the ancient sage-physicians of Classical Chinese medicine reminded us that there are many layers and dimensions to our Being.

Written in the Han dynasty (2nd century BCE), the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor is one of the most revered texts of Classical Chinese medicine and consists of two works - the Suwen and the Lingshu.

The Suwen establishes the theoretical foundation of Chinese Medicine and diagnostic methodology, while the Lingshu discusses acupuncture as a complete system of medicine - revealing the 74 channels along with their specific sequencing and philosophical significance.

The title ‘Lingshu’ is very interesting because it consists of two special characters. The first, ‘Ling’ (靈), means ‘soul’, and the second, ‘Shu’ (樞), means ‘pivot’ or ‘axis’. Together, these indicate that the channel system of acupuncture goes far beyond just treating the physical body - being intended rather to guide us back to our Dao, or path, through our embodied experience.

In Chapter 8 of the Ling Shu there is a very famous section that reveals how all diseases are spiritual in nature. It reminds the acupuncturist to always remain "rooted in the spirit” and not to lose sight of the many strata which are the expressions of Being or consciousness. 

This infers that healing is a process of reclaiming the unity and divinity of life from our ordinary, fragmented and reactive patterns.

As discussed in a previous article, Jean Gebser demonstrated that consciousness has five different substrata or layers which developed sequentially throughout the course of human history. According to Gebser, these different strata remain “ever-present” within us and can be seen to manifest during an effective acupuncture session.

In the first few moments both physician and patient are engaged in the linear mental strata - enquiring and responding to the patient’s physical symptoms, general state of health and so forth. The physician meets the patient where they are, without judgment and if he or she can recognise and relinquish the urge to make a diagnosis at this stage, the patient will feel a sense of being heard and met, and a noticeable shift in the interaction occurs.

The patient becomes more at ease, takes a deep breath, slows their speech, and becomes more in sync with their breath and body. This is the outward sign that their sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) has shifted to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and restore). 

To me, this shift signifies the activation of the mythic strata of consciousness. The physician can now enquire tenderly about matters of the patient’s heart and their emotions, and the patient can begin to relate and express their emotions as dreams, images, symbols, and metaphor. 

There is a sense of being held in safety and a deeper sense of trust. It is a meeting of the humanity of both physician and patient.

On this basis the formal touch of pulse taking, or abdominal palpation, reveals further information about the functioning of all aspects of their being and physiology in the moment, so that another layer of connection is made. 

The mystery of Life then expresses itself through the magical pulsations on each wrist. To a trained physician of Chinese medicine, the pulses have many layers and nuances, not dissimilar to a philharmonic orchestra. Here we are connected to the magical strata of consciousness. 

As the physician gently listens with their heart open to all possibilities, much healing has already occurred - before a needle has even been inserted.

Throughout this process the patient is providing valuable information - mostly unspoken - about the state of their Being, beyond mere facts and figures that can be elicited from the logical and linear mental strata. 

The open hearted listening from the physician allows the patient to express all the strata of their consciousness or Being, providing an accurate picture of where they’re stuck and need assistance. In other words, for the patient and attentive physician, the diagnosis will be given as a gift. 

Once the needles are placed, a primordial state, that of the archaic, opens up. In this strata there is a sense of being at one with all things, and a strong sense of ease as the patient’s body-breath-mind syncs up. 

When a patient is ready, some will spontaneously manifest the integral strata. Their inner burdens and stress will fall away and they'll be able to experience all the strata of their Being. 

During these moments there is a restoration of connection and belonging, often producing flashes of insight - either on the treatment couch or many days later.

When they next follow up, there is a sense that some lasting shift has occurred for the patient. Not many can name it, but both recognise that a transformation has taken place.

The entire process is transformation in action. It is the recognition or reclamation of a person’s unity or divinity, within the physical matter of their body that is the real healing. There is a sense of beauty that arises in their heart. 

It is an evolution - not a return to some previous state of ‘health’.