PLANT ACUPUNCTURE, ESOTERISM AND NONSENSE

Published in:
http://acupuntura.blogas-pt.com/

Thanks to the excellent work of the directors of fórumMTC, whom I

congratulate, the community of Portuguese acupunctures not only won an extra
space to communicate and still was rewarded with access to various scientific
studies and a variety of world news on acupuncture.

This article is a criticism of one of these articles (and should not be seen as
critical to fórumMTC). An article removed from the site Landscape Brazil which
in turn will have been published in the journal Sitios&Jardins. This article talks
about plant acupuncture. As I will demonstrate what is called plant acupuncture
is no more than a mutilation of TCM concepts based on esoteric ideas and
without any basis minimally substantiated. Let pass then to the article itself:

Is stated at the outset:

"The acupuncture is a science and, like all science, a complex thing. In any case, we could say
that its basic principle is to find the balance between positive and negative poles of energy that
is running in the living creatures1 "

In previous articles I criticized the translation of the word Qi as energy. It is a

mistranslation that completely disable its significance in Chinese medicine. This
translation derived from a esoteric current from New Age, with influences of
vitalism, and that ended up offering us a mistaken view of what Chinese
Medicine really is or how she think`s.

The basic principle of the TCM (and not of acupuncture) is not the search for
balance between positive and negative poles of energy. TCM talks about the
balance of the microcosms (man) with the macrocosm (surroundings) wich is
completely different. It speaks about the adaptation of the human being to the
seasons, the environmental characteristics that surround it, to society, etc ...
This story for children of negative and positive energy is a Western invention
from the analysis of the TCM in a esoteric perspective.

The author, after some far-fetched analogies with electricity, continues:

"Imagine there is in a certain point of a living being any, an overload of positive or negative
energy. This point, this "piece", start´s to malfunction, and consequently tends to undermine the
operation of the full "machinery"2"

"Through metal needles, as the metals, particularly gold and silver, are excellent conductors of
electricity discharges the excess energy (positive or negative) of this point. Restored the
balance the "piece" back to work correctly, the symptoms of the problem disappear and the
"machine" start´s to operating under normal conditions.3"

This is completely ridiculous both from the point of view of science as from
acupuncture.

Firstly we have to question how acupuncture worked when the needles were
made of bone. It would also be interesting to repair, according to the author, the
needle unloads the excess energy. Not only TCM does not say anything of the
sort as acupuncture is used to treat patterns of deficiency (yin vacuity, yang
vacuity, qi vacuity, blood vacuity).

Secondly we conclude that the positive and negative energy is related to

electricity. However electric energy is no more than the sum of kinetic energy
(energy associated with the movement) and potential energy (energy
associated with the position). There is nothing known as negative and positive
energy. This is nothing more than vitalist phylosophy trying to modify scientific
concepts.

This part ends with the statement:

"But acupuncture is of Chinese origin and, of course, has a terminology all its own. For
example, the positive energy is called Yin, and the set of the two, the vital energy, the Chinese
gave the name of Ki4"
Translate Yin as positive energy is pure invention of the author. At no time was
the Yin translated as positive energy. The concept of yin is associated with body
fluids and cold. Thus a yin deficiency can manifest itself with symptoms of
dryness (dry skin, dry mouth and throat, sparse and dark urine, dry cough or
with yellow and litlle sputum) or with symptoms of dryness and heat (agitation,
vexation, night sweats , feeling the heat, malar flushing, fever afternoon). In the
first case we have the existence of a Yin vacuity without heat in the second
case, we have the typical manifestations of Yin deficiency with heat.

It is understood that the Yin energy is not seen as positive but as an abstract
concept which aims to be applied to specific contexts defining thus a clinical
reality objectively. When the author refers to the set of 2, means the Yin
(positive energy) and yang (negative energy). Ends with the error as usual to
consider Qi as vital energy. This is derived from the mutilation that the West
translators imposed to technical terminology of TCM.

Indeed in TCM can not only examine the term Qi, in the majority of times,
because he's always accompanied by another character that can change its
meaning. Examples like yúan qì, wèi qì, zōng qì or zhēn qì, zhèng qì show the
variety of meanings which is associated with the concept of Qì. In subsequent
articles I will do a detailed description of what these terms mean in TCM.

The article continues with the presentation by the author of this method and the
type of research he has done:

"The research of Dr. Evaldo in acupuncture is in relation to breeding, flowering, fruiting, seed
production and plant growth. He is searching now, ways to increase the resistance of plants to
pests and diseases.

According to Dr. Evaldo, the positive energy (Yang) is responsible for the growth and formation
of the crown of the plants. The negative energy (Yin) answered by the formation of fruit, flowers
and seeds. Satisfactory results, therefore, depend on the distribution and the perfect balance of
energy in all plant cells.5"

The second part of the text is nothing more than a quick analysis based on
some possible meanings of Yin and Yang when applied to botanical and does
not help us at all. In the first part of the text we can find the fraud well explained.

The theories of the doctor have been based on growth and fruiting plants. Allow
me to tell you a little story that I can apply to the lemon tree (I don´t now relatively
to other plant species).

One day a neighbor was talking to my father because he´s lemon tree didn´t
produce any kind of lemon fruit while the tree of my father was full of lemons
large and tasty. My father explained to him the secret. When my neighbor heard
the secret thought that my father was kidding with him and was skeptical.

What secret would be this one, able to leave someone thinking that was caught
in a TV series? My father told him: "You use a hoe handle and give 3 hoes to
the tree." (obviously not with enough strength to send the tree on the ground).

The middle of the night, so that anyone would see, my neighbor gave it to 3
hoes in the lemon tree and can now cook with big lemons produced in his
backyard (we should, of course, ensure that the tree is well fed). You see no
need to pay an acupuntor to treat their fruit tree that does not give fruits. What is
the secret?

When attacked the lemon tree begins to turn its attention to the production of
lemons. Since its existence is at risk he has to drive all its efforts for the survival
of the species. In lemons we find the seeds and the seeds are the safeguard of
the species. What is called acupuncture plant is no more than hoes with VIP
tendencys.

So when it´s stated in the text:

"For flowering or fruiting, it is essential that the treatment is done about a month before the start
of the season scheduled for sprouting. The acupuncture should be applied in internal angles,
which accumulates the energy of Yin negative polarity.6"
The reader is already informed. The internal angles are not necessary, the hoe
is the secret.

As expected, an article of this magnitude could only end with an affirmation

contrary to everything that TCM holds:

"The important thing is that you have in mind that acupuncture is a process of healing. Should
only be used, therefore, in cases of real need.7"

There goes the theory that acupuncture can (and should!) Be used preventively.
1http://www.paisagismobrasil.com.br/?system=news&action=read&id=785&eid=297

2Idem, idem

3Idem, idem

4Idem, idem

5Idem, idem

6Idem, idem

7Idem, idem