Acupuncture is a major modality of traditional Chinese medicine that has been practiced for over two thousand years. The basic premise of acupuncture is that the body is made up of a system of channels, or meridians, through which energy flows. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the proper flow of this energy, or Qi, is necessary for good health, and any blockages or imbalances in the flow of Qi can lead to illness or pain.
The concept of channels is fundamental to acupuncture. The most widely known written record of acupuncture is the Huangdi Neijing, or Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, which dates back up to around 200 BCE. This text describes the meridians as pathways through which Qi flows, connecting the internal organs to the exterior of the body. There are twelve main channels, or meridians, which are associated with specific organs or organ systems in the body. Despite the fact that acupuncture has been used for thousands of years, the concept of channels has not been scientifically proven. Many skeptics of acupuncture argue that the concept of channels is nothing more than a metaphor for the nervous and circulatory systems. Channels(meridians) are so important, but there are so many unanswered questions about meridians.
What are the meridians really? Why are there 12 meridians? Who first discovered them and how? Why is it said that you can miss an acupuncture point but not a meridian? How do you know which direction a meridian runs?
Today, we're going to explore these questions from a historical perspective.
The theory of meridians is thought to have been developed by the ancient Chinese when they were managing the Yellow River and applied their knowledge to the human body. This is known as the hydraulic model theory. The first person to advocate the hydraulic model theory was Joseph Needham (1900-1995), who wrote in 'Celestial Lancet (1980)' that "From the beginning there was a terminology there that resembled that of hydraulic engineering, among which were 川, 支流, spillway, reservoir, lake, etc. This analogy is clearly stated in the 『Lingshu』." (Gwei-djen & Needhanm,2002:22~23)
"黃帝問於岐伯曰, 經脈十二者, 外合於十二經水, 而內屬於五藏六府. 夫十二經水者, 其有大小
深淺廣狹近遠各不同, 五藏六府之高下小大, 受 之多少亦不等, 相應奈何.
- - 夫經水者, 受水而行之,
- - 五藏者, 合神氣魂魄而藏之,
- - 六府者, 受而行之, 受氣而揚之,
- - 經脈者, 受血而營之."
第十二篇 經水, 靈樞
This is a passage from the twelfth chapter of the Ling Shu. In this passage, Huangdi asked Qibo about the twelve meridians that are externally connected to the twelve meridian waters and internally belong to the five zang and six fu organs. The twelve meridian waters have different sizes, depths, widths, narrownesses, nearnesses and farnesses. The heights and sizes of the five zang and six fu organs that receive them are also different. How do they correspond?
- -The meridian water receives water and carries it along;
- -The five zang organs combine qi, soul and spirit and store them
- -The six fu organs receive and carry them(what zang organ stored above) along; they receive qi and lift it up
- - The meridian vessels * receive blood and nourish them(zang and fu).
The "Meridian water" Ying-chu
* One thing controversial is that the terms "meridian water" and "meridian vessel" are separated in this passage.
Japanese physician Kanou Yoshimitsu said, "I believe that in parallel with empirical medical practice, meridians through which water(blood and qi) pass were imagined as a physiological mechanism, and the concept of meridians was deduced from hydraulic model"
Dr. Woojin Jung's study, "The Origin of Meridians," offers several hypotheses about the development of meridian theory.
- Analysis of needle sensation ( radiating, electricity)
- Empirical points → channel flow (from dots to lines)
- Feeling of qi flow while training Qigong
1. Analysis of needle sensation ( radiating, electricity)
The first hypothesis is that when the acupuncture needles are placed, the pathway for the stimulation to spread is the meridian. In Nei Jing, it is said that if you needle exactly at the acupuncture point, the needle sensation will spread along a certain path. People in the past found that when there was a disease in one organ or area of the body, there would be a sensation of tenderness in a certain area of the body, and when pressed on a certain point of the body, the pain would decrease. In addition, doctors in the past found that when needling a reaction point is applied in a certain area, a sensation of electricity, numbness, heaviness, or swelling would be transmitted along a certain pathway.
 | |
| Sensations radiating from where the acupuncture needles were placed |
The first tank was designed in 1954 by John C. Lilly, an American physician and neuroscientist. He designed the tank to study the origins of consciousness by cutting off all external stimuli.
He designed the tank to study the origins of consciousness by cutting off all external stimuli. (Beissner F, Marzolff I. Investigation of Acupuncture Sensation Patterns under Sensory Deprivation Using a Geographic Information System. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012) Subjects are deprived of all sensation but the needles in the tank, so they are more sensitive to the sensation of the needles, so they record the sensations that are transmitted. The results are shown below, and while they do not completely match the meridians, they do show similar transmission pathways. These experiments support the idea that meridians are a representation of the transmission pathways that the ancients were able to sensitively feel when they placed acupuncture needles.
2. Empirical points → channel flow (from dots to lines)
Another hypothesis suggests that empirical observations led to the development of meridians. The idea is that individual acupuncture points were initially discovered and used without a specific system in place. Over time, people began to analyze these points, identifying similarities in their properties and effects. They then connected the points with corresponding internal organs based on these shared characteristics. For instance, after recognizing several points effective for treating coughs, they linked the meridians to the lungs – the organs responsible for coughing. This theory posits that with increasing medical experience, more acupuncture points were discovered, and the understanding of meridian pathways evolved into the complex system we know today. However, this hypothesis has been challenged by the recent discovery of an ancient text in the Mawangdui tomb, which features meridians but not points.
3. Feeling of qi flow while training Qigong
The hypothesis that meridians were discovered through sensing and analyzing one's own qi flow during qigong practice posits that awareness of meridians came first, independent of acupuncture points. This contrasts with the previously mentioned idea that points developed into lines or meridians.
Li Shizhen, author of the Bencao Gangmu, contended in his book, The Eight Meridians of Qigong, that only those who practice qi can observe meridians ("內景隨道, 惟反觀者能照察之." 『奇經八脈考』).
This hypothesis is supported by many qigong practitioners, some of whom criticize the notion that acupuncturists can accurately place needles without feeling the circulation of qi. However, this hypothesis is called into question by the fact that the conception channel and governing channel, which are most easily and clearly sensed during qigong practice, are absent in early texts and were not added to the 12 meridians until later.
4. Meridian system is originated from blood vessel
Some scholars think the meridian system is another primitive understanding of blood vessel in ancient times. Originally, the word 'Mai(脈)' was used to describe a blood vessel. In the early days, it was only expressed as arterial pulse, and it was not until Chún Yúyì(淳于意)'s 'Yi An(醫案)' and the 'Nei Jing' that it was expressed as Jing Mai(經脈), which means meridian in AHM. In the Wang Mangzhen (王莽傳) of the Han dynasty, we find the following account.
When the enemy, Lord Wang Son, was arrested, Mang had T'ien-t'ai and Shang-fang strip him of his skin and measure his five organs, and with a bamboo stick he probed the he blood vessels, found them, ascertained the path from the beginning to the end, and said, "This is Mai(脈). We can cure all disease with this.
“翟義黨王孫慶捕得, 莽使太醫尙方與巧屠共刳剝之, 量度五臟, 以竹筳導其脈, 知所終始, 云
可以治病.” 『漢書』 卷99, 王莽傳.
In the Classic of the Four Noble Emperors, there's passages, in which we can clearly see ancient people thought Mai(脈) as blood vessels.
Qi conveys fluids(津液), infuses them into Mai((脈), transforms them into blood, nourishes the extremities, and internally nourishes zang and fu." (Lingshu, Volume 10, Pathogenic Factors).
"氣泌其津液, 注之於脈, 化以爲血, 以榮四末, 內注五藏六府." 『靈樞』 卷十, 邪客.
"The twelve meridians, Jing Mai(經脈) run through the flesh, but they are deep and cannot be seen. The only Mai that is visible is the tarsal vein, which passes through ankle. Only this Mai(脈) is visible because there is nowhere to hide." (Lingshu, Volume 3, Jing Mai)
"經脈十二者, 伏行分肉之間, 深而不見, 其常見者, 足太陰過於外踝之上, 無所隱故也. 『靈樞』卷三, 經脈.
This shows that the ancients thought of blood vessels as Jing Mai(經脈, meridian). Modern Chinese medicine practitioners believe that meridians are channels of qi, and different from blood vessel. But, TCM doctors measure pulse on major blood vessel like radial artery or carotid artery. In other words, they thought qi travel through blood vessels, which meridians. At some point, however, meridians developed as a separate concept from blood vessels in medical history.
We've explored various theories on the origins of meridians, but many questions still remain. Let's go back to the question we asked at the beginning. What exactly are meridians? Why do we have 12 of them? Who first discovered them, and how? How can we determine the direction a meridian flows? Can you answer these questions now? In perspective of history, there is no definitive proof regarding the existence of 12 meridians, whether they correspond to blood vessels or other anatomical structures, or even the direction of their flow. What we do know is that meridian theories have evolved over time as knowledge and experience accumulated. It's clear that the meridian system didn't suddenly appear all at once, as if it were a divine revelation or a gift from extraterrestrial beings.
In our next discussion, we'll delve into early texts and evidence related to meridian theories, which may bring us closer to finding an answer.
Reference;
1. Jung, Woo-Jin, The Origin of Meridians, Korean J Med Hist 19 ː433-458 Dec. 2010
2. Koh Hyeong gyun, What 's the Original Concept of Meridian and Acupuncture Point in Oriental Medicine? 醫 史學 제14권 제2호 (통권 제27호) 2005년 12월
Joseph Needham and Sinology
Joseph Needham was a historian of science who wrote the landmark history 'Science and Civilisation in China', a comprehensive study of Chinese scientific development. In the late 1930s, his collaboration with Chinese biochemists sparked his interest in China’s language and civilization, and he subsequently headed a British scientific mission in China (1942–46). Joseph Needham is considered one of the most important figures in the history of sinology. The terms “sinology” were coined around 1838. Sinology is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture, and history. The prefix "sino-", derived from Late Latin Sinae from the Greek Sinae, from the Arabic Sin which in turn may derive from Qin, as in the Qin dynasty