One of the things that has been sparking my passion in recent years is finding ways to bridge the conceptual framework of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with modern science. In June of 2023, I’ll be presenting at the “Medicines from the Earth” conference in Asheville, NC. This year I’m giving an intensive called: “Management of Chronic Disease: Combining TCM Concepts with Modern Biomedical Analysis.” Here is an excerpt from the introduction to the presentation:
The Qi concept (pronounced “Chee”) has been a stumbling block for collaboration and understanding between TCM and modern science for decades. Qi is often considered a non-scientific or pseudoscientific concept – primarily due its inability to be measured. In TCM, Qi is considered an immaterial substance that represents the functional quality of human physiology. The concept of Qi mirrors that of similar concepts in many medical traditions from around the world, including the concept of the “Life Force.”
The basic principle that the body has an innate capacity to heal itself, to overcome disease and survive, is the basis for the “Life Force” concept. It represents the central, organizing force that unites the actions of the body into a cohesive whole. It is observed in the purposeful actions that resist the dissipative forces of the natural universe and allow living things to conserve their own existence.
Although they use different names to describe it, the Life Force concept is central to many successful medical systems. These include: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurvedic Medicine, and Vitalism. All of these systems share the fundamental principle that there is a vital force operating in the living organism that cannot be reduced or explained simply by physical or chemical factors.
On the other hand, the materialistic perspective maintains that disease can be explained entirely in terms of material factors, deeming the Life Force concept unnecessary and unscientific. The ongoing debate around these two seemingly disparate perspectives has been a hindrance to the collaborative practice of medicine for centuries. An encompassing perspective that transcends the debate, reveals that both worldviews, when not held as dogma, can be woven together into a more complete picture of what life is and a more comprehensive approach to medical practice.
Qi is a concept, it is an approximation, just as all of our scientific models are. The difference is that our modern scientific perspective is concerned primarily with form, while the TCM concept of Qi refers to function. One of the important distinctions to be made in understanding the discrepancy between materialism and the life force concept is that life force, whether it be called vital force, qi, prana, or vis medicatrix naturae, represents the functional state or quality of living tissue. Not unlike gravity or magnetism, it cannot be “measured” quantitatively because it is not represented by a discrete material substance. In TCM theory, “Qi” is a description of a functional aspect of the body, it is not meant to represent a distinct structure or a measurable substance. In the words of the famous statistician, George E. Box, “the only question of interest is, is the model illuminating and useful?”
To access my archive of lectures on similar topics, visit drjasonamiller.com. For more information on the Medicines from the Earth conference, visit botanical-medicine.org.
