經絡現象研究的沉寂與出新

The Silence and Renaissance of the Research on Channel-Phenomenon

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

經絡現象主要指循經感傳。它的表現形式是當向人體上施加一點刺激時，其所產生的定位覺會緩慢地移動走行，或者走行到軀體的病灶 處，或者走行到頭頂。它的走行軌跡呈現為特殊的分佈形式，在中華醫學中被稱為經絡。從現代醫學的角度來看，循經感傳的科學稱呼應該是移動性定位覺或知覺延伸。這是一個很常見但卻不被人們所認識的高等臨床神經學現象。

多年來，誤認為循經感傳的軌跡是一個有結構的管道，曾經投入大量的人力與財力企圖找到它的實物或物質基礎，但卻是遠遠失敗，使中國的經絡現象研究陷入沉寂。

《臨床經絡現象學》與《高等臨床神經學》兩本書的出版；季鍾樸學術思想的成熟與彰明；以經絡現象為研究對象與「透過現象看本質」的正確路線的被承認；經絡研究新一輪五年計劃的啟動。中國的經絡現象研究正在走向出新。

Channel-phenomenon (or jingluo phenomenon, in Chinese) is a special sensational phenomenon discovered by traditional Chinese medicine over two thousand years ago. When stimulating certain points on a patient's skin, the patient will have a sensation moving along specifiable routes, terminating at the location of disease or the top of the head. With a definite distribution pattern on the human body, such specifiable routes are named jingluo by traditional Chinese medicine and constitute the theoretical and practical basis for the treatment of acupuncture. In modern medicine, this propagated sensation along channels can be called "moving topesthesia", or "perceptual extension."

For many years researchers on channel-phenomenon had concentrated their efforts on attempting to discover a concrete tubing structure below the specified routes. They wanted to find an observable anatomical structure or particular physical basis so as to ground the channel-phenomenon on a solid basis. According to their understanding, the essence of channel-phenomenon had to lie in particular anatomical tubes as a physical basis. Without such a physical basis, the channel-phenomenon could not have real objective existence. However, although tremendous amount of labor and energy were invested in the hope of finding particular anatomical tubes for channels, it was done in vain. Consequently, Chinese intellectual research on channel-phenomenon came to silence.

However, it is mistaken to believe that the essence of channel-phenomenon has to lie in a particular physical basis. The propagated sensation along channels as a phenomenon has been there for thousands of years and continue to be confirmed by patients in the present time. Why must research on channel-phenomenon be separated from patients’ vivid experiences and instead be focused only on looking for special anatomical structures? On reflection, it happened that some had held a very narrow-minded and simplified notion of objectivity. Indeed, objectivity does not always require a particular physical basis. Patients’ experiences and feelings are equally objective facts for intellectual research.

Fortunately, as we can learn from the lessons and experiences we had in the past, we will readjust our research orientation. With the recent publication of the two new books about higher clinical neurology in the field, it looks that the research on channel-phenomenon will encounter its renaissance.

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