People are often surprised to learn that the oldest texts of Chinese medicine don't split body and mind the way we tend to. Alongside the organs and the Five Elements, they describe five "spirits", called Shen, Hun, Po, Yi and Zhi, and each has its own character in the tradition.
I should say up front that this is philosophy and tradition, not modern psychology or anatomy. It's a way of thinking about what it means to be a whole person, and it sits at the heart of the Five Element approach I practise.
Where the idea comes from
The Five Spirits appear in the classical texts of Chinese medicine. Chapter 23 of the Suwen pairs each spirit with an organ, and chapter 8 of the Lingshu sets out where each one "dwells". In the scholar Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée's translation, the passage reads: "The liver treasures the blood, the blood is the dwelling place of the hun... The lung treasures the qi, the qi are the dwelling place of the po... The kidneys treasure the essences, the essences are the dwelling place of the will."
Scholars of these texts see the Five Spirits as the Five Elements applied to the workings of the heart and mind. Each spirit belongs to an element, just as each organ does.
Shen: the spirit of the Heart (Fire)
Shen is the overarching spirit, traditionally said to live in the Heart, and it's often translated as "mind" or "spirit". In the tradition it's the part of us that is aware and awake to the world. The Heart belongs to Fire, so Five Element practitioners link Shen with warmth and connection.
Hun: the ethereal soul of the Liver (Wood)
Traditionally housed in the Liver, the Hun is usually translated as the "ethereal soul". The tradition gives it a quality of movement. The acupuncture author Giovanni Maciocia calls it the "coming and going of the Shen", with a life somewhat independent of it. An old saying from the Book of Rites holds that at death "the Hun returns to Heaven and the Po returns to Earth".
Po: the corporeal soul of the Lungs (Metal)
If the Hun is the airy, wandering part of us, the Po is the bodily part. It's traditionally housed in the Lungs and known as the "corporeal soul". Maciocia connects it with physical sensation and the kind of memory the body holds, such as muscle memory. In the Five Element tradition the Lungs belong to Metal.
Yi: the intellect of the Spleen (Earth)
Yi usually translates as "intellect" or "intention". The Lingshu places it in what the Spleen treasures, which Rochat de la Vallée glosses as "nutrition". Since the Spleen belongs to Earth, there's a lovely image here, with nourishment of the body sitting side by side with the mind's ability to take in ideas and work with them.
Zhi: the will of the Kidneys (Water)
Zhi is the "will", or willpower, and it traditionally dwells in the Essences that the Kidneys treasure. In the Five Element system the Kidneys belong to Water, the element of winter.
Why this matters in a Five Element treatment
J.R. Worsley, the Coventry-born acupuncturist who did much to shape Five Element acupuncture in the UK, emphasised looking at a person's physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing together. The Five Spirits are part of that outlook. When I take time to get to know you in a first session, it's partly because this tradition cares about the whole person, not just the reason you came in.
None of this makes acupuncture a treatment for emotional or mental health problems, and if you're struggling, your GP is the right first step. Many people simply enjoy the Five Spirits as a thoughtful, ancient way of describing what makes us who we are.
If you're curious which element you might resonate with, try my Five Elements quiz.