tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post204252623896474065..comments2024-03-25T14:09:59.347-05:00Comments on Augoeides: Lying About AcupunctureScott Stenwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12389664381513219613noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post-2775489433288029752014-06-03T10:24:20.216-05:002014-06-03T10:24:20.216-05:00As I see it the main problem with a morphogenic an...As I see it the main problem with a morphogenic analysis of the acupuncture points is that there are other possible explanations for the similarities that need to be ruled out before any firm conclusions can be drawn.<br /><br />(1) Points that are found in specific places in animals but not in humans don't really prove anything because the Taoists were big on generalizing from human to animal. You see this at work in unrelated areas such as Chinese Kung Fu styles, for example, in which animal movements are mimicked.<br /><br />(2) Similarity of meridian shapes to organ shapes could simply be the result of anatomical dissection: "the organ is shaped like this, so the meridian should look this way too." Then taking that as a base, adjust the exact geometry until the points seem to work. That's not particularly mysterious either.<br /><br />The increased heat at acupressure sites is possibly an interesting finding, but you need a larger sample size and a better control condition before you can say anything definitive. Keep in mind that I'm a 5-element Qigong practitioner myself and I don't think the meridian system is artificially constructed either. I also am quite familiar with Sheldrake's work on morphogenesis and open to applying those ideas to the meridian system if you have the data to back it up.<br /><br />My current working hypothesis is that the structure of the acupuncture meridians are related to the lymphatic vascular system. We know that the lymphatic system mediates the immune system response, and that lymphatic fluid is pushed through the body by movement rather than a pump such as the heart. Thus, there's a link between moving Qigong sets, meditation (the relaxation response), and the concept of "stagnant Qi" - that is, lymphatic fluid that isn't moving through the body efficiently.<br /><br />So according to that idea, acupuncture works by penetrating the lymphatic channel just below the skin in proximity to a significant vessel or channel. This, then, provokes a mild inflammation/immune system response at the point which releases white blood cells and so forth to deal with toxins, illness, and so forth. Note that the meridians do basically follow both the lymphatic vessels and the nervous system <br /><br />I think that a lymphatic model could explain your heat findings just as well as any sort of morpogenic model. That doesn't mean either one is right or wrong, but it seems to me that more experiments need to be done to rule out one or the other. I probably would set out to disprove my lymphatic model first, because it relies more on established biological principles and less on more speculative ones like morphogenics.<br /><br />If you ever do conduct such research, I would be interesting in hearing what your findings are. Because if the lymphatic model is wrong, I'll happily move on to something else that fits the data more closely.Scott Stenwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12389664381513219613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post-31468315589826287272014-06-03T02:19:18.673-05:002014-06-03T02:19:18.673-05:00Dear Scott Stenwick,
possibly I am at the life st...Dear Scott Stenwick, <br />possibly I am at the life stage I need some paranormal hints :-).<br />Even though this can sounds quite presumptuous, I am the pioneer who first applied scientific method to research in acupuncture. Thus, after having painstakingly sifted the Acupuncture Meridian System, I conquered the right to state that it is too complex and logically ordered to be a false construction.<br />Please, before visiting the site where are collected all my scientific observations on the acupuncture meridians, take a look at what I think the Acupuncture Meridian System really is: www.meso.it/copies.htm <br />Best regards,<br />Dr. Stefano Marcelli <br />stefanomarcelli@tiscali.itDr. Stefano Marcellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07452183071953750762noreply@blogger.com