Study On The Denotation Of "Shen" In TCM

The theoretical system of TCM is unique. One of the classic examples is the cognition about "Shen". We talked a lot about the Pre-Qin's cultural and the reforming of "Shen" about the orthographic and semantic above, then come to analyze the parts of "Shen" in order to reflect the real character of "Shen" in this paper.The heat-lighting causes the birth of "Shen", and the denotation about "Shen" changes with the developing circumstances in synchronism. When cited to the theoretical system of TCM, "Shen" was bestowed new meanings associated with the vital activities, and became the objective existence in the world of conception based on the theoretical system of TCM.Shocked by the thunder, the heart was tightly related to "Shen", which came from the heat-lighting. "Shen" independently expressed its efficiency while heart is only its residence. The main organs, such as liver, lung, spleen, and kidney, are under the charge of "Shen". Under the normal conditions, "Shen" circulated in the body together with "Qi" and blood, with its four physiologic rhythms, which means day/night-rhythm, moon-rhythm, year-rhythm, and lifetime-rhythm.The vital activities in modern cognitive system are the basic elements for the existence of human body and ethnic group. The vital activities include the pulse controlled by heart, the vision controlled by eye, the audition controlled by ear, the language and sense of taste controlled by tongue, respiratory and olfaction controlled by nose. The activities also include the sleep and dream, sex and produce, and expression of emotions. All these things may seem have nothing to do with each other in modern science, but we can use "Shen" to connect them all in TCM. That means, our ancient Chinese set an objective material named "Shen" come out of the observations of natural phenomenon, which demonstrates all these vital activities. We can find five apparent characters of "Shen" from the ancient works: ①It is a kind of metaphysics with no shape;②has no restriction;③full of vital activity;④be responded to the environments irritation;⑤express its function through all the human organs which can be seen by our eyes."Shen" is very important in the TCM clinic activities, which has been fully exhibited in the method of four diagnoses. "Relationship between Shape and Shen" and "relationship among Jing, Qi, and Shen" are the two important aspects in TCM theory system. "Shen" is a great thing to our health care and clinic, but our endeavor to cognize and comprehend it is only lingering in the level of "Shape" and "Jing and Qi". But all these explanation is rooted in the unshaped "Shen" in the end.