Five-Phases Acupuncture

 The Gui or Demons

1.  General Overview

0.  Introduction

Demons are energetic entities mentioned in Ancient Chinese texts.  They are forces of severe imbalances.  Possessions are found throughout Chinese classical literature.  Most great doctors at least mentioned them.  Some gave prescriptions for it, some denied it.  The history of Chinese demonology resembles that of Western countries.  Throughout times, specialists existed and throughout time cases have been reported.  Acupuncture is not the major branch that apparently deals with possessions but the Five Elements Style of the Worsley tradition does have a protocol to deal with “Entities.”  Its origin is not known but it is accepted by the practitioners of the school.  The notion of entity is not clearly defined, and this techniques always evokes some sort of mystery and awe among its practitioners. 

According to the observations of Worsley and of practitioners of that style, the number of possessions is growing (as well as for Aggressive Energy and Husband/Wife) because the mental defenses are polluted and the spiritual defenses are weakened.

Going back to some of the texts brings some interesting notes about the predisposing factors leading to possessions.   The opinions that accept the Demons or those that view Demons as construction of an ill person have both in common that the person suffers from a loss of the Spirit Essences and/or Blood.  Chang Chieh Pin comments that “when someone falls ill from a depletion in the liver and then encounters a seasonally insufficient development of ceasing-yin influences, he is attacked by the white corpse-demons.  When a person falls ill from a depletion in the heart and then encounters an insufficient development of the two fire-influences in the seasonal progression, he is attacked by black corpse-demons. . .”  According to him, there are five types of demons and his description reminds the Ko cycle propagation.   Hsu Ling Tai explains that “Demons and spirits are evil similar to Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, and Dampness.  Whenever there is a depletion of defensive influences, [the body] then absorbs demons.  The [human] spirit, of course, belongs to the yang category.  When the yang [influences] have been depleted, demons take control of them ..”  Therefore, in treating [an injury caused by] demons, one need only strengthen the spirit [of the victim].  Since fluid, rumination, or fear can also cause [depletion of the spirit] in such cases, one must first investigate such a possibility before undertaking any therapy.  Besides the predisposing factors leading to a loss of Spirit, of Yang, there are also illnesses caused by direct attack from demons and alien spirits.

In simple terms, the Gui is some force that has taken grip of some part of the person at some level. 

Apparently, a deficiency of Spirit, Yang will lead to predisposition of possession.

Five classes of Demons will use the Ko cycle to invade the human being.  Could this be in correlation with the Notion of Aggressive Energy?  Chang Chieh Pin cite Directions for Restoring Losses by Means of Acupuncture.  This text is not available in English.

What appears certain is that possessed people cannot be reached, because another force is controlling them and that cases of possessions can go from total madness (rare) to very subtle and discrete types.

In the Five Elements Worsley tradition, Gui are viewed as energy blocks, whereby the person is unable to use a vast amount of Energy.  Practitioners of that school denominate it Internal and External Demons or ID and ED.  Other important blocks are innocently called, such as “Husband/Wife” to prevent the patient to know about the severity of the condition.  The term Gui may be more cautious and appropriate to use for the same reasons.

In the same traditions, most of the current cases are about Internal Gui, while they used to be more External in the past.

Sometimes the Demons eat the Dragons.

The Dragons only come out when there is work to do.

Possession totally prevent going to the CF.

Both Internal and External Possession can happen at the same time. 

Both can be created by Spirits, drugs or alcohol.

2.  Five Elements Treatment

ID and ED

1.  Symptomatology

 According to Worsley, Possession cannot be seen with the physical or mental eyes.  Only the spiritual eyes can uncover it.  Until the spiritual eyes are developed, the practitioner needs to base the diagnostic on other “tools.”  The person is un”reachable”, even if she/he seems intelligent.  Once you go beneath, you can reach what is happening ...

IDs are from within.  EDs are from without.

a. Observations:

Shen disturbance; Eyes (vacant, wild, lack of contact, looking through you).

Emotional events.

Evidence of an extreme emotional disturbance of some sort.

Entity.

Reality as a “being”, generated by belief systems (could be from early childhood; parental conditioning; terror; trauma; cults).

History of suicide attempt, destructive behaviors (self mutilation).

Clear demarcation in time:  “I was fine until ...”

b. Patient "alarm" sentences:

“In the grip of ...”

“I was fine until ...”

“I feel possessed by ...”

“I feel I am in the devil's grip”

c. Pulse:

Chaotic.

d. Treatments reactions:

No results from earlier treatments..  Stockiness.

e. Others

The practitioner may have dreams of Entities after seeing a specific patient.

2.  Therapist's approach

If there is any reason to believe in the presence of Gui, the treatment must be done.

While doing this kind of treatment, tell the patient you are doing a “clearing.”

The treatment process may be lengthy (sometimes hours), and unpredictable results could come out while patient is on the table.  The therapist must be prepared to this (scheduling, being ready for the unexpected, ...).

There are conditions were the patient is not ready for this treatment, because to weak.

Intent:

“I am getting the Entity out”                                 -          “Let this Entity not go to someone else”

Prayer

Therapist protection:

Spiritual path                             -           Self Knowledge              -           White coat

Hara protection                          -           Opened windows.                      

3.  Distinguishing between Demons

3.1 Demons According to Five Elements Style

As mentioned above, in Five Elements Style, there are two types of possessions, the Internal Demon (or Devil) and the External Demon (or Devil) types. 

“Do not worry over the difference, just get the diagnostic of possession.”  JR. Worsley

Maybe you might think about it after a few treatments if movement does not occur.

In this case, review what might go on.  Is it H/W, AE, RN/DU or even a block at the Wei level.

A “green” acupuncturist generally founds Possessions by trial and error.

Both can be treated within the same session, if necessary, and if person is  strong enough.

Internal Gui are done first (note that things go from inside to outside; in AEs, the Yang-Fu are drained through the Yin-Zhang, according to JR. Worsley and J. Measures).

Both present the followings:

Shen disturbance:  Both are reflected in the eyes.
Clear time demarcation
Both can be generated through a sudden onset.
Careful questioning/observations are necessary.

Added to these common characteristics, we have:

Generally, the ID (Internal Demon) is generated from inside forces.
Generally, the ED (External Demon) is generated from outside forces:
It relates to environmental factors, generally.
The invasion is grave, much more serious than a pernicious influence.
Exposition to drastic changes of weather or extreme climates.
External trauma (an outside force disturbing deep level functions), such as injuries, accidents
Chronic, long lasting conditions.

There may not be a clear cut distinction and sometimes both ID and ED treatments may be necessary.

4. Treatment

The points used release the Seven Dragons, which devour the Seven Demons. 

This treatment differs radically from Five Elements Style.

The ID treatment does not influence Stomach at all (it is not an Earth treatment), even though six points are on it.

A person has to be initially vulnerable to become possessed.  To remove possession while he/she is vulnerable necessitates an immediate follow-up.  It is a good idea to do sources points on the CF to ground the treatment (after testing for AE), except if the patient has undergone strong reaction.  In the later case bring the patient back in the next day.

. Procedure

Length: 1 to 12 hour for the first ten years of practice.

Mark points (the chance to get them is near zero). 

It is like a combination to a safe, either you get the combination or you don't.

First insert all the needles straight with no manipulation, then in the same order, disperse (counter clock rotation of 180 degrees).

After inserting all needles, do a sedation for about 10-15 min., than check Color- Sound- Odor - Emotion, pulses and patient.

If no change tonify, starting at Master Point, do the following:

a Pull needle, feel for grip.

b If needle comes straight out, the point has been missed.

c Go in until the grip is felt and remark.  Do b and c for each point.

d Start all over with new locations.

e If no change, tonify and wait for change, about 3-4 min.

As soon as a change is noticed, stop.  If no change do E.D.

In total, a Possession treatment may involve four separate procedures:

Dispersion of Ids.                                   -           Tonification of IDs.

Dispersion of Eds.                                  -           Tonification of EDs.

. Note on Needle techniques

Disperse from Right to Left and Tonify from Left to Right.

Tonification on right side, disperse on left side.

At  a certain level, only needle unilaterally, tonifying only Left and dispersing only Right.

At Master level, only one side is being worked.

. Observation

During this treatment, there is aggravation of the patient's condition, then the patient feels reborn, even if he/she cannot express it.

The patient may go through unusual things (gestures, speech, ...), then it will be over and he/she will be free.

Do not do anything except staying with the patient during the treatment.

You may actually see a force leaving the body but rarely.  Leave a window open, or you can get/feel sick.  You won't become possessed.

If successful, a person who would have been sick all their life is cured. 

It is the safest and cleanest method.  It is 100% effective.

Do not tonify first, to tonify a possessed patient who need sedation will create a big problem.

. Points

7.  Warning

The Entity from Gui treatment can enter the practitioner. 

A practitioner did a Gui treatment, had two dreams of being attacked by the same Entity, once in the patient’s room (where the ID treatment was done) and the second time in his own bedroom.  After the second dream, he felt an energetic change with a strange sensation in the inside of the upper back.  The entity had actually entered at the level of BL-11.

3.  Sun Si Miao Treatment

The Thirteen Gui Points

Sun Si Miao (581-682 AD), a prominent physician of the Tang Dynasty, wrote the Qian Jin Yao Fang (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold, 652 AD) and Qian Jin Yi Fang (Supplement to Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold, 682 AD).  These books have been considered as an agglomeration of the medical achievements before the seventh century.  Each work is composed of 30 volumes covering all branches of medicine.  The first work includes a peculiar treatment called Shi San Gui Xu Ge or Ode to Thirteen Ghost Acupoints where Sun Si Miao describes, in the form of an poetic and humorous style.

These points are to be used together in the same treatment, each one with a specific technique.

As much as no real indication is known in English about this treatment, it is supposed to be for disorders caused by ghosts or mental disorders.  Demons have been treated throughout Chinese medicine with herbs and incantation and Sun Si Miao’s text is probably the first known text mentioning acupuncture as a therapeutic modality.  The possibility that acupuncture originally had purely demonic medicine functions should not be excluded.[2]

The individual points from this prescription have specific energetic functions ranging from calming and clearing the mind and dispelling exogenous pathogens to regulate Qi and Blood.

1. Prescription

Notes:

For men, the treatment starts on the left and ends on the left.

For women, the treatment starts on the right and ends on the right.

Moxa cauterization on RN-1 is done with a moxa candle.

Yu Men is located in the anterior fold of the vagina.

Hai Quan is located in the center of the frenum linguae on the inferior side of the tongue.

Research on Gui Treatments.

1. Energetic Coding of ID/ED

1.1. Energetic Coding

1.2. Interpretation according to Mussat

Internal Dragons

All points are on Yang Ming, which is the master of the Madness of the meridians.  This madness is an abnormal movement of the energy in the meridians.  Therefore, we must “reestablish” the normal movement in the yang ming (which is the Movement of Energy): 3 yang points

It is about tuning the “internal” movement.  We must then command it with the Heater.  Since Yang Ming is involved, we must then act through the contraries: Shao Yin.

Since it is about a deep disorder, we must use the Triple Heater.  We “helped” the Yang Ming movement.  We must then help the Shao Yin movement, through RN: RN 15, which commands the movement towards the Top.

External Dragons

For the External Dragons, the thought process is exactly symmetrical: it is about a deep disorder: the root of man is involved; it is thus about Shao Yin.  We must make the madness “exit”, thus from inside to outside.  But the outside of Shao Yin is not Yang Ming.  It is Tai Yang: all the points are on Tai Yang.  And DU 20 is the highest Yang of Tai Yang and of Du Mai. 

And we note that these formula are established by FIVE points: this is because the disorder that must be treated is a movement of the emotions: we must then go through the 5 Movements.

2. List of main points having the name Gui in them