Shamanism in Chinese medicine

CT Holman

A review by Steve Wheeler

Member: Mid-Wales

I approached Singing Dragon’s new publication with a sense of trepidation. My experience of ‘shamanism’ in the West, with a few noble exceptions, has primarily consisted of reconstructed pseudo-traditions of neo-paganism promising to make you a bona fide medicine man (or woman) in a handful of weekends, so it seemed likely that, in this book, I was going to encounter an ill-advised melange of traditional Chinese medicine and various flavours of New Age delusion. I was steeling myself to have to pen a scathing critique, heaping particular opprobrium on the tendency to mix elements of other traditions and practices into traditional Chinese medicine rather than doing the hard work of simply becoming a better practitioner of the art as it exists.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover, then, that the ‘shamanism’ Mr Holman is referring to is that of the ancient Wu people of China, arguing that they were the original source of much of the Chinese medicine that was later developed and elaborated. While Holman acknowledges that his use of the term is broad, and his choice of it contentious, he justifies it as a means ‘to engage the reader in recognising the spiritual roots of Chinese medicine – to bring back the spirit elements of the medicine to treat people with both physical and spiritual methods’. By ‘shaman’, he explains, he means ‘one who aligns with the universal energy, observes the rhythms of nature, extrapolates the connections between the natural world and body physiology, works with shen to bring health and healing, and teaches this universal

wisdom to others’. This is a description that many of us, particularly those schooled in more classical schools, will recognise as our own ideal of a practitioner, and in the case of this reviewer he is very much preaching to the converted.

There can be no doubt that the practices of the Wu people were one important stream of influence on the creation ofChinese medicine. Holman explicitly acknowledges that, in placing such an emphasis on it, he is influenced by his teacher, Zhongxian Wu, by whom many of us will have had the pleasure of being instructed in qigong at BAcC conferences or elsewhere. But Holman also outlines some of the archaeological and textual evidence for viewing the development of Chinese medicine through this lens, pointing out that many ideas that may, through long use, have come to seem almost mundane to practitioners can also be interpreted as part of the ‘shamanic’ cosmology that first informed the medicine. He notes, for example, that the term

The second chapter continues this theme, detailing in short, simple sections how the ideas of yin and yang, the five phases, the numerology of the six divisions and the twelve animals can all be seen as aspects of an older, wilder form of worldview, rooted in the direct experience of the natural world and spiritual practices. This is followed by chapters on the healing space, diagnosis, treatment, (a brief overview of) stems and branches, and a selection of case studies from the ‘shamanic’ perspective.

Holman writes clearly and well, peppering well-structured prose with just enough colour and verve to keep the reader’s interest, even through those passages that, for a trained practitioner, may not contain much that is new. On the wood element, for example: ‘New life emerges in the springtime. Plants burst through the soil, growing upward to the light, like a green dragon breaking free from the rocks to soar among the mists and clouds… The push of a sprout through the soil is like thunder, shaking the soil and signalling change.’ It is precisely this kind of poetic, imagisticsymbolism that is at the heart of classical medicine, of course, providing a way of seeing patterns in the flux of matter that the linear mind might overlook; and it is appropriate that a book calling us back to the ancient roots of our medicine itself be aesthetically pleasing. This book is indeed beautifully produced and illustrated, with the fullcolour charts and photos proving particularly useful in discussion of facial and tongue analysis.

Inevitably, there are elements here that some will struggle with, and not all of the techniques discussed are ‘shamanic’ only in the broader sense: discussion of energetically cleansing the healing space using rattle and drum, for example, of treatment through chanting, or of remote

qi healing may not find favour with all practitioners; not only those who prefer acupuncture to be thought of as a physical, evidence-based modality, but also those already committed to a ‘spiritually-informed’ style of Chinese medicine but who would not recognise all of these techniques as part of the classical canon.

In this, we come face to face once more with our old bugbear, the issue of Authority in the Chinese medicine world. Even if we accept the reality of the more shamanic forms of treatment, to whom do we turn to learn them as authentic, effective and replicable skills? The Chinese arts are notoriously eclectic, and in the absence of a clear line of authority – there is no Pope of Daoism to issue decisive edicts on these issues (thank goodness, some might say) – we are left to try different teachers almost at random in the hope of finding someone we feel we can follow. In one sense, Holman’s position is refreshingly clear and open in this regard: he is a student of Master Wu, he believes in the authenticity and effectiveness of Master Wu’s teachings, and on that foundation his practice, and his writing, are largely based. The rest of us must decide for ourselves whether that is sufficient basis to go along with everything contained in his book.

Regardless of whether we take some of the content with a pinch of salt – be it through scepticism or through allegiance to an alternative lineage of classical treatment – there is still plenty here to stimulate thought, to fire discussion, and to encourage practical exploration of the ‘shamanic’ side of Chinese medicine. For those who feel called to include a little more of the shamanic in their practice, those already engaged in this style of treatment, or those who are merely curious about the ancient roots of acupuncture, Holman’s work will make a welcome addition to their bookshelf.