Spirit Medicine

The Five Spirits of Humankind: A Map of Consciousness

By Brandon LaGreca / April 12, 2025 / Comments Off on The Five Spirits of Humankind: A Map of Consciousness

In the last post in this series, we explored the idea that thoughts, emotions, and perceptions have measurable biochemical effects. In this light, “spirit” as conscious awareness becomes a placeholder for a vitalistic, embodied aspect of health. Now, let’s take a more nuanced dive into that connection. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) teaches that humans are…

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The Science of Spirit: A Bridge Between Consciousness and Healing

By Brandon LaGreca / March 14, 2025 / Comments Off on The Science of Spirit: A Bridge Between Consciousness and Healing

What is spirit? It is no small matter to define something without matter, but if we are going to examine what it means to practice spiritual medicine, we need a working definition. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is not alone among holistic forms of traditional medicine that view spirit (shen) as distinct from an animating life…

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