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Case Report
Psychophysiological reactions
associated with Qigong therapy
Xu Shenghan
徐声汉
Qigong
deviation syndrome
Incorrect performance of Qigong exercise can lead to
some somatic or psychological disturbances, just
like what appeared during the early phase of
over-meditation reported by Otis in 1973. Such
syndrome manifested during or after the Qigong
exercise may be called “Qigong deviation”, which has
become a diagnostic term now widely used in China.
It has also been included in the Chinese
Classification of Mental Disorders.
The
mental disturbances initiated by Qigong exercise
have aroused wide interests and discussion now among
Chinese psychiatrists and Qigong researchers.
The
diagnosis of “Qigong deviation syndrome” showed the
following criteria: 1. normal behavior before doing
Qigong exercise; 2. psychological and physiological
reactions appear during or after Qigong exercise;
suggestion and auto-suggestion may play an important
role; 3. the manifestation of Qigong deviation
syndrome does not meet the diagnostic criteria of
schizophrenia, affective disorders and neuroses.
The
clinically common symptom of Qigong deviation is the
“uncontrolled” flow of “Qi(energy)” in the body. All
of the cases had such complaints as “Qi moving and
dashing within the body” or “Qi dashing and rushing
into the head”, often stagnating somewhere and
leading to pain, with some strange perception in the
lower abdominal area called “DanTian”. The incessant
movement the vital energy may give rise to an
unusual malaise as well as various physical symptoms
such as headache, insomnia, discomfort, abdominal
distention and others. Owing to the exercisers’
overemphasis upon the experience of “arrival of Qi”,
many interesting psychic phenomena may be derived
from: Qi being “stolen”--- for instance, an elderly
woman was furious when the instructor removed her Qi
to another exerciser. She gave that exerciser a box
on the ear and asked him to return her Qi.
“induction” of Qi --- once there were two exercisers
(patients with chronic physical illness) who were in
the same ward. One day, one of them gave a puff
inadvertently to the other, the latter soon began to
dance elegantly. After a little while he told the
other mysteriously “Oh, this is caused by the
communication between my Qi and yours”. The psychic
problem may arise on account of the attitude of the
exerciser to the ZiFaGong (spontaneous skill), which
manifests itself as fast, strenuous and irregular
movement with large motions. Some schools of
Qigong(as in the crane-flying Qigong) emphasize that
the earlier, the larger and the faster the
spontaneous skill emerges, the better results will
ensue, therefore the exercisers spare no efforts to
seek for the spontaneous skill. In most of the
exercisers, sensation of Qi, as well as the
spontaneous skill was caused by suggestion and
auto-suggestion and they are prone to develop
psychic disorders.
The
common symptoms in mental disturbance are anxiety,
nervousness, depression, etc. Seriously illed
patients can’t control their own behavior. Some
patients are found to have hallucination or
delusion, and some even have the impulse of
committing suicide.
Qigong
deviation syndrome is a mental disorder closely
related to the cultural background, and also to
superstition or witchcraft.
The
mental and physical disturbances caused by Qigong
deviation have the characteristics different from
other psychotic disorders. Their causes are rather
complicated. The author has done some tentative
study on their clinical and causative factors.
(To be
continued) |
