Ben Shen: The Five Psychical-Emotional Phases: Wuxing (Five Phase) Theory
Ben Shen: The Five Psychical-Emotional Phases: Wuxing (Five Phase) Theory
Ben Shen: The Five Psychical-Emotional Phases: Wuxing (Five Phase) Theory
Annette de Vogel
e-mail: annette.devogel@gelrevision.nl
Ben Shen
The Ben Shen are the Five Phases, or aspects, of the psyche, emotions or mental
manifestations. Each of the Five Phases relates to a Zang (Yin organ), a Zang Shu Point a
psychic mentality and a Mental Shu Point (1.5" lateral to the related Zang Shu Point), as
follows:
Shen-Spirit
HT-Fire
Zhi-Will Po-Instinct
KI-Water LU-Metal
Shen belongs mainly to the Fire Phase but Shen itself is divided in Five Phases: the Ben
Shen. Negative emotions are Yang and positive emotions are Yin. They are both
necessary to feed Shen.
Shen is the power and spirit of life. It has Yin and Yang aspects. Yuan (Original) Shen is
Yin, the passive form, the divine form, the higher self. Shih Shen is Yang, the active
form, the emotions and the blood of living.
Intuition is a part of Shen, the incarnation of the mental part of the body.
Shen relates to HT and PC. When HT Qi is pure, PC obeys Shen. When HT Qi is weak,
PC obeys the needs of the body, resulting in a lust for excitement and stimulating
activities.
Shen and the Fire Phase involve love-relationships. When Shen is in balance, love-
relationships are also in balance.
Body growth is very fast in puberty. Shen growth cannot keep pace with rapid body
growth. Thus, many problems arise with relationships and emotions in puberty, especially
problems between parents and pubescent children.
Shen
gloomy very excited,
recklessness
self-doubt Sorrow restlessness,
cheerlessness
discouragement
Shock
Extreme
joy
Self-confidence
despair Joy nervousness
depression (empty) Happiness concern
hopelessness hysteria
A strong Yi can take over a weak Shen (reverse-Sheng route). For example, a very
intelligent person may be able to verbalize knowledge, but may find it difficult to
translate that knowledge into practical action.
Negative remarks indicate a weak Shen or Yi, but can also indicate a strong Yi:
intelligence and knowledge can blur vision/insight.
Yi
lack of concentration worry about
forgetful Sympathy Pity muse
Consideration Nostalgia worry out in the mind
Overconcern
To help in Yi problems:
Po comes from our mother (Earth). It is a Yin aspect. Po houses all the automatic systems
and instincts. It is the way to survive. The instinct develops right after conception.
Everything that can breathe has Po. This Phase is always part of the body. Po makes one
introspective.
Po
low spirited very sensitive, self-pity
oppression Frankness Sadness stoic, arrogance
heavy hearted Accessible to Grief
Disengage Sorrow
yourself
egoism jealousy
miserly envy
To help in Po problems:
Learn low abdominal breathing; in meditation, this banishes stray thoughts and
makes one open to Shen.
Do exercises to improve breathing; Chinese people train their breathing in order
to endure pain.
Use BL42-Pohu (Soul Door) or BL13-Feishu (LU Shu)
Use LU07-Lieque (Broken Sequence, Luo-Passage point) to stimulate
extroversion
Use LU05-Chize (Elbow Marsh, He-Sea/Water/Son-Sedation point) to sedate Po
in people with for example sadness due to an excess situation.
Use LU09-Taiyuan (Great Abyss, Shu-Stream/Yuan/Earth/Mother-Tonification
point) to stimulate Po; this stimulates introversion or introspection; appearances
become less important
Zhi is part of Yuanqi (Essential energy); it houses willpower and corresponds with ideals
and goals. The more one enforces one's will on another person, the weaker Zhi becomes
in the enforcer.
distrust afraid of
suspicion panic
paranoia phobia
Hun is a Yang aspect; it comes mainly from the father. It arrives three days after birth;
after death, it returns to the great all. Hun is stored in LV; it gives courage, the "will to
live", the will discover the world. When Hun does not feed Shen, one can be afraid to
make decisions, or can become suicidal. Hun always wishes to change everything. (Po
wants to leave everything as it is).
Hun
irritation Frustration Assertiveness feeling of guilt
grudge Aggression Selfconsciousness self-disapproval
Anger Responsibility
In imbalances of the Ben Shen, as discussed above, one may use the Mental Shu or their
Associated Zang (Organ) Shu Points (1.5" medial to the Mental Shu) as follows: