The following material is excerpted from Five Spirits: Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological and Spiritual Healing .

Shen is the name given to the most yang of the Five Spirits. This spirit personifies the fiery spark of conscious awareness.  During our life, the shen is said to reside in the empty center of the heart from where it guides us along our path through life. Although it is invisible, the shen’s presence is reflected in the light that shines from the eyes of a healthy human being. In the presence of healthy shen, there is a luster and brightness to the disposition, a feeling of connection and awareness. Most of all, the presence of healthy shen results in a life that is uniquely suited to the individual and a person whose actions make sense within the context of the surrounding environment. 

The shen spirit is related to:

• Element: fire
• Organ: heart
• Emotion: joy
• Psychological function: awareness, inspiration, insight
• Psychospiritual issue: knowing true self
• Cosmological associations: starlight, lightning
• Chakra: seventh - Thousand Petal Lotus: Enlightened Mind
• Alchemical virtues: compassion and love

Signs and Symptoms of Shen Disturbance

Spirit Level Signs 

• lack of coherence to life; the person’s personality does not fit the life they are living
• lack of inspiration and insight; deadness; no heart and soul to life
• no sense of unique person with a unique path; ambivalence
• much activity but no center, so activity  turns to anxiety, restlessness, and eventually, fatigue
• no ability to discern what is truly right for me
• no self-reflection
• inability to distinguish true from false, real from unreal

Possible Causes

• constitutional or “karmic” issues that are part of person’s work in this lifetime
• narcissistic injuries: parents who couldn't see the child and consistently inhibited the expression of true nature

Anything that upsets the heart upsets the shen. Emotional trauma, shock, and abuse can cause a shen disturbance, as can recreational drugs such as cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamines.

What to Expect as You Heal and Cultivate the Shen

As you become familiar with your shen, learn to recognize their voices, and understand their messages, you will notice changes in your life, such as:

• better sleep and a sense of ease as you live in alignment with your true nature and cultivate your own authenticity,
• more integrity and honesty in your relationships as you know and express who you really are and what you really want,
• less time doing things that really don’t matter to you or being with people who really aren’t part of your Tao,
• increased sense of your Tao or path so you are less easily distracted by extraneous events or tempted by dead end streets and convoluted alleyways,
• a light or glow infusing your life with the magic of the heart,
• an increase in illumination, intuition, and insight in your everyday life, guiding your decisions,
• and a greater ease in loving as you can more clearly discern “I” from “thou” and appreciate the differences.

Checking in with the Shen: A Practice for Healing

“Checking in with your shen” is simple and yet easily forgotten, especially in the midst of emotional upset or the excitement of a new project. However, it is a good idea, any time you are beginning something important, entering a new relationship, or just starting out the day to take a moment to notice how the shen feel about what you are up to.

This is actually not as mysterious as it may seem. Even without learning to meditate or to do inner visualizations, you can make it a practice to note how you feel when you think about a particular person or project. Are you relaxed, infused with steady, gentle warmth? Or are you jumpy and agitated? Is your excitement like the quick flash of a match (that will soon burn itself out), or is it a flame that glows steadily and grows as you continue to move along this path?

You know your shen are disturbed if you experience anxiety or palpitations when you think of a particular person, project, or idea. If upsetting dreams disturb your sleep or if you can’t sleep, your shen are probably trying to tell you something. If you feel muddled and confused when you think about this issue . . . oops, you know the birds of clear awareness have flown the coop! Take some time out. Don’t move forward until you have clarity. Walk. Breathe. Get calm and wait until the shen have settled down before making any important decisions.

Pay attention to the voices in your head. After a while, you may recognize one that is like a clear bell, not loud but somehow brighter than the others. This is the voice of the shen, the voice that organizes the others into a pattern that makes sense. This voice may come as a flash of intuitive knowing (“I don’t know how I knew to stop at the post office at just that moment!”) or of sudden insight (“I get it! That’s what I need to do to pull this party together.”), or as a gradually gathering clarification of an unclear situation. 

Avoid repeatedly returning to situations or relationships that you know disturb your emotions or your mental clarity.

If you have had life experiences or used substances that have damaged or upset the shen, seek the help of a licensed, well-trained acupuncturist to help you clear the heart so your spirit birds can return to the nest. 

If you are taking prescription medication that makes you feel muddled, unclear, or lacking joy or a zest for life, you know that this medicine is affecting your heart spirit. Seek the assistance of a skilled acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist. With help, the shen can return to their original luminosity. If your practitioner suggests it, speak with your medical doctor to see if another medication is available or if it might be possible to lower the dosage of one you are on.

Find a contemplative practice such as meditation, prayer, drawing, journal writing, or mindful walking in nature that will clear a space for the shen. In this tranquil quiet, you will be able to hear their voices. Take time to look in your own heart and your true identity will be illuminated by the light of your awareness.  This is the practice of cultivating shen.

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