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6 Evils & 7 Emotions, Oh my!

In Chinese medicine, the belief is that the organs & tissues, as well as the body and its natural environment are connected by an opposite attraction, and a united one.  This dynamic balance, in its perfect state, maintains the health of our bodies.  It regulates our immune system.  Once this balance is broken, or disturbed for whatever reason, it results in disease.  This is called etiological or causal factors.

Western medicine contributes physical factors for the cause of disease, such as bacteria and viruses, chemical factors, etc (foreign invaders). The Chinese, however view these symptoms of disease as factors caused by the weakened state of (affected) organ, rendering it unable to fight foreign invasions.  Destroying the foreign threat will eliminate the symptoms, yet qi (vital energy) is not sufficiently restored; without properly treating the cause (of disease), it will inevitably return.  This follows the yin-yang and five elements principles.

In TCM, external cosmological causes of diseases are called evils, and are ruled the four seasons r& climate, as the internal government is ruled by our emotions; seven to be exact; responses to different situations, and affect everyone in various ways.

The six climatic evils are Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness and Fire; with infective features

Table 1

Unusual weather conditions are to blame for disease brought on by the six evils, as so much as the body is prepared for its current climatic environment only to be suddenly exposed to opposite climatic force.  Influenza, for example, is dominant during conditions such as cold-spells during mid-Summer weeks.

Pestilential evil is the reason TCM learnt about epidemic diseases earlier than other practices of medicine; as earlier as ancient times to be exact.  These infective, highly contagious factors attack during extreme temperatures and environmental aspects such as droughts, floods, high-heat or pollution.  Pestilential evils are considered high intensity epidemics.

Summarizing 6 Evils

• Related to seasons and working environment – Wind diseases in Spring, Summer-heat disease in Summer, Damp disease in late Summer & early Fall, & Cold disease in Winter
• Evils can work alone or in two or more combination when attacking the body – Wind-Cold type, Damp-heat diarrhea, Wind-Cold-Damp blockages
• While causing disease, any evil can transform to another under certain conditions – Cold evil enters body (orally) and then transforms to a heat evil; long persisting summer-heat with dampness can be transformed into dryness evil
• Six evils can enter body through spaces in skin and muscle or nose and mouth.

Table 2

The seven emotions (Joy, Anger, Anxiety, Pensiveness, Grief, Fear & Fright); are considered the major internal cause of disease, according to TCM.

Powerful emotions are uncontrollable, which then overwhelms or possesses a person, causing serious injury to internal organs, paving the way for foreign evil invasion (disease).  Emotional activities are viewed as normal, internal, physiological response to stimuli from external environment.  Within stable range, emotions cannot cause disease or weaknesses.  It is not so much the intensity of the emotion, but rather the prolonged experience or an extreme emotion which causes damage.

While Western practitioners contribute this fact to psychological aspects of psychometric aliments, the extreme damage to internal organs definitely exists and has been a primary concern amongst TCM practitioners.

E motional activity in excess causes severe yin-yang energy imbalance, uncontrolled aberrations in blood flow, blockage of qi (vital energy) in the meridians and impairment of vital organ functions.  Once physical damage sets in, it is useless to eliminate the offending emotion at this point. The prolonged emotional stress will also require physical action.

Joy – Excessive joyfulness  exerts spirit & it then scatters because it can no longer be stored, according to the Lingshu (The Vital Axis), but TCM defines joy as an “over excitement” vs. the more passive approach to “deep contentment”.   The heart organ is most affected by over stimulation of heart-fire, and can be shown in agitation, insomnia, and palpitations.

Anger – Encases full range of associated emotions, including irritability, resentment, and frustration.  Excess of rich blood makes one prone to anger, affecting the liver; resulting in stagnation of liver qi, which then rises to head, causing headaches and dizziness, stomach and spleen problems, and let’s not forget high blood pressure.

Anxiety – qi is blocked and stagnant, which affects the lungs, which controls qi through breathing.  Suffers can experience retention of breath, shallow, irregular breathing.  This can also harm the large intestines.

Pensiveness – Concentration, over-thinking, or excessive mental and intellectual stimulation, is the TCM definition. This emotion runs risks of causing disharmony. The spleen is mostly affected and results in lethargy, fatigue, and an inability to concentrate.

Grief – The lungs are directly involved in this emotion. Sobbing (crying) that originates in depth of lungs, with deep breathes and expulsion of air; usually unresolved grief and will cause chronic disharmony in lungs, and also weakens qi.  Lungs will then be unable to circulate qi around body.

Fear – Chronic fear, especially those that cannot be directly addressed, will lead to disharmony of kidneys.  Extreme fright makes kidneys unable to store qi (impaired), and leads to involuntary urination.

Fright – This emotion is distinguished from fear by its sudden, unexpected nature.  The heart organ is primarily the recipient of this disharmony.  Especially during the initial stages of fright; persistent fright becomes conscious fear and then moves to kidneys.

Table 3