THE UPPER DANTIAN
The Upper Dantian collects the Chi of Heaven and represents the spiritual aspect of man and his connection to the divine. The Heaven energy that is transformed in the Upper Dantian has a thin, ethereal, vapor-like quality. The Upper Dantian is connected to the third field of Wei Qi, circulating several feet outside the body. As the Upper Dantian fills with Chi, spiritual intuition and psychic perception increase. In Chinese medical physiology, the Brain controls memory, concentration, sight, hearing, touch, and smell. These senses stay in close communication with the Heart and Shen. The Upper Dantian is also considered the house of spiritual (intuitive) communication, awareness, and feelings.
THE UPPER DANTIAN AND JING
The Jing and Chi form the material foundation for the Shen. In Chinese, the term Jing-Shen means mind or consciousness. Jing-Shen may also mean vigor, vitality, or drive. In China, doctors of both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine use the term Jing-Shen Bing to refer to all types of mental illness. The term Shen is nearly always used with the understanding of the close relationship between the mind and spirit, even in the modern medical context.
The term Prenatal Wu Jing Shen is used in Medical Chi Kung to describe the body’s Original Five Essence Spirits (Hun, Po, Zhi, Yi, and Shen). These five spirits combine the energetic essence of the five Yin organs in order to create the body’s innate spiritual consciousness. The Jing itself is considered the basis for, and ruler of Marrow, which is defined in Chinese medicine as a substance derived from the Kidneys which nourishes the Brain and spinal cord and also forms the Bone Marrow. The Brain is one of the Six Extraordinary Organs and is called the “Sea of Marrow,” as it is considered to be a form of Marrow.
The Six Extraordinary Organs are hollow Yang organs that store Yin Jing. Deficiency of Jing may lead to poor concentration, poor memory, dizziness, and absentmindedness. Deficiency of Prenatal Jing is related to mental retardation and attention deficit disorder (ADD) in children. In some styles of Chi Kung, the Jing is intentionally conserved and its energy is drawn upwards from the Lower Dantian through the spine to nourish the Brain. Such nourishment benefits the mind and enhances spiritual consciousness.
THE UPPER DANTIAN AND CHI
The head is the most Yang aspect of the body since it is the part of the body closest to Heaven. The Chi that operates in the Upper Dantian is, therefore, Yang in nature. The Spleen and Kidneys send the Clear Yang Chi [pure, light, and insubstantial] upwards to the Brain to facilitate mental clarity and activity.
The Upper Dantian is also the place where the individual connects with the Yang Chi of Heaven. Chi Kung practitioners consciously absorb Heavenly Chi through the upper doorway, Baihui GV-20. Heaven Chi is composed of the Chi from the celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars. The Upper Dantian is located in the center of the Brain, in an area that encompasses the pineal, pituitary, thalamus, and hypothalamus glands.
The pineal gland and hypothalamus have been shown to be extremely sensitive to the influence of light. In his book, The Body Electric, Dr. Robert Becker cites experiments with bees and several species of birds that navigate by the light of the sun. In birds, this ability may be due to the fact that they have disproportionately large pineal glands. He also discovered that birds seem to have a backup system of navigation based upon sensitivity to the electromagnetic fields of the Earth.
Light, electricity, and magnetism are three forms of energy that the Brain is naturally conditioned to automatically recognize, receive, and respond to. Additionally, the Brain also interacts with and generates the energy of light, electricity, and magnetism. These particular forms of energy stimulate the pineal, pituitary, thalamus, and hypothalamus glands, influencing the individual’s mental and emotional state. The function and patterning of the Brain is dependent on the interactions of countless energetic structures within fields of light, electricity, and magnetism. Although the Brain is also influenced by heat and sound, it does not use or generate them to the degree that it generates light, electricity, and magnetism.
THE UPPER DANTIAN AND SHEN
We have already discussed the relationship of the Jing and the Shen with the Upper Dantian. Of particular interest to Daoist alchemists is the opening of the center of the Upper Dantian, called the “Crystal Room,” as this is where psychic perceptions and intuitive awareness take place. Higher communications, experiences of intense bliss, and perceptions that transcend time and space are associated with the Upper Dantian.
These experiences are particularly valuable to Chi Kung doctors, who are trained to use these heightened perceptions to diagnose illness. The efficacy of intuitive cognition is well documented in the works of C. Norman Shealy and Caroline Myss, who use the term “medical intuitive” to describe this paranormal ability.
The Upper Dantian is also the place where the Eternal Soul connects with the Wuji and with the Dao. The awareness associated with this union is beyond description, as this level of unity surpasses conceptual thought and words.
Although the Upper Dantian is responsible for the fruition of intuitive and psychic perceptions, it is necessary to balance the combined energetic properties of all three Dantians in order to establish a reliable foundation for genuine psychic perception. The steam-like quality of the energy within the Upper Dantian fuses with the light that naturally resides within this center. As this combined energy disperses, it travels outward into the Wuji, returning back to the divine. This interaction (of the refined “steam” and the indwelling light) is also responsible for what the Chinese call “receiving the message,” which describes the ability of connecting with a patient’s subtle energy field to acquire hidden knowledge stored within the tissues.
While in a state of tranquility and inner peace, the Chi Kung doctor’s Upper Dantian intuitively processes information from the environment and universe. This intuitive knowledge provides the Chi Kung doctor with a greater ability to explore his or her own consciousness, as well as the subtle subconscious patterns of the patient. The ancients called this ability “knowing without knowing.”
The Upper Dantian is the residence of the upper Hun named Tai Guang or Eminent Light. This Hun naturally connects with Heaven and strives for physical, mental,
