Fear Factor or Faith Factor?

The message seems calculated to instill one emotion in particular: fear. The media beam a steady diet of cataclysm, conflict and unresolved dilemma—actual and looming. For mostly commercial reasons information is delivered in such a way as to stimulate our most instinctive and primitive responses to a perceived threat. According to one study, North Americans on average watch four and a half hours of television every day. Western mental health professionals disagree regarding the effect repetitive exposure to broadcasts of negative events has on health. And yet for some of us, the fear messages of the world we are sent via the media and society compete heavily with the nearly continual ones we send ourselves. These personal fear messages (along with those involving other emotions) frequently fall way below the radar screen. We simply are unaware of the content of our self-talk—and its effect on our well-being. On the first take it may seem surprising, but the ancient medical system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a lot to say on this subject.

To begin with, in the TCM paradigm, body, mind, emotions and spirit are inseparably connected. This means that each of these aspects of being impacts the others; at a deep level they are interwoven. Each of us is a whole being, so it's very difficult—if not impossible—to have true physical health without a balanced mind and spirit. For thousands of years TCM has understood the important role emotions play in health. Western society has many stress-related health problems; it's crucial for individuals to understand how emotions affect their overall health, how unbalanced emotional reactions—to personal circumstances and also to larger, more global events—are at the root of many physical problems.

In TCM theory there are seven basic emotions: joy, worry, sadness and grief, anger, and fear and terror. Any one of these can cause health difficulties if experienced in excess, suddenly, or chronically over an extended period of time. Classical TCM texts call this occurrence "internal injury by the seven emotions." Each emotion corresponds to an organ, according to TCM's Five Element Theory, which organizes all phenomena into five Universal patterns or groups. The five organ systems have functions at the level of Qi, or vital energy, in addition to their physical functions. When an emotion is unbalanced it can cause an energy dysfunction in its related organ. (And the reverse is also true: a physical impairment in an organ can manifest in emotional difficulties.) Because the five major organ pairs must work together harmoniously, a dysfunction in one can seriously impact the others—and your health.

In the case of fear and terror, these emotions directly affect the Kidney organ system. (TCM views fear as an internally generated emotion and terror as a response to external factors.) Feelings of fear on a continual basis or a situation that strikes terror in your heart (whether real or imagined) have strong implications for your health because the Kidney is the major source of energy in the body, according to TCM. (See "TCM This Season" for more on the Kidney organ system.) The Kidney powers all body functions and supplies the energy for all the other organs. With deficient Kidney energy you may have symptoms like lower back pain, loss of hair, or ringing in the ears. Each of these parts of the body is associated with the Kidney in the Five Element Theory and can function as a sort of barometer, signaling the state of that organ system. One key TCM principle is "outer reflects inner." With regard to fear, from the TCM perspective, a person with strong Kidney energy will not have fear. Panic and anxiety attacks, for example, are signs of deficient Kidney Qi. So the approach TCM takes to deal with messages of fear is to build your Kidney Qi. What's the best way to do this?

Along with natural methods like acupuncture and herbs, one time-tested way to build internal energy is with Qigong. This self-healing practice helps your body build, balance and conserve Qi. TCM advocates soft, water-like forms of movement such as Qigong, Taiji, and yoga to help the body, mind and spirit process life issues and enhance health. Meditation and walking in nature (and not a gym, where you are separated from the healing qualities of nature) are also effective ways to quiet the mind and balance emotions.

Another very beneficial practice is "letting it go." A great part of TCM treatment involves pushing illness and disease-causing conditions from the body. By letting emotions go—letting them flow—and not holding onto them, you can rid yourself of elements that can potentially affect your health in an adverse way. Balanced emotions also help conserve Qi. Letting it go, a key TCM philosophy, involves a perspective change. It understands that while we can't really control events and circumstances, we do have a choice in how we react to them. It takes a step back and allows that what sometimes seems "bad" can result in positive changes, and what appears "good" can have unforeseen consequences that may bring problematic issues to the surface. One traditional Chinese adage says, "Your heart can create heaven or hell." The modern version of this might read something like, "Your consciousness creates your reality."

Perhaps the most powerful practice of all is to tap into the energy of nature. One very essential TCM principle is that we are inseparably connected to nature and the universe. TCM theories, principles and practices are based on a deep understanding of natural law. By understanding the laws and patterns of nature—and following them—you can foster and maintain your health. The TCM approach always links the individual back to nature and the Universal and uses them as an inexhaustible healing resource. So ultimately TCM sees nature as the antidote to any emotional and health imbalance. Tapping into the pure energy of nature and the Universal connects you with a vibration that creates internal balance and harmony. It helps cultivate a spirit of acceptance and trust—in the inborn healing ability of your own body and in the process of life itself. It builds an authentic faith and makes you strong and unafraid—unsusceptible to the fears ever fanned by this world.