討論氣功的氣與經絡的氣之異同

The Comparison of Chi between Qigong and Meridian System

陳方佩(Fang-Pey Chen)

《中華針灸醫學會雜誌》 11卷4期 (2008/12) Pp. 41-55

https://doi.org/10.30076/JCMAA.200812.0006

摘要

1970年代起是傳統中國針灸在現代醫學體系中大放異彩的時代，而針灸的基礎就在於經絡系統。因此過去三十年來，科學家們都很努力在尋找或證明傳統經絡的走向與實質。然而由2005年大陸發表的論文可知，在用盡現代科技的影像、同位素、離子流、磁場等等方法，都無法證明有十二經絡實質的存在，更遑論去定性或定量經絡中流動的「氣」爲何了。
另外我們發現，隨著傳統醫學的受到重現，各種類型的各國民族另類或互補療法(Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM)也在近二十多年來，逐漸受到世人的青睞。美國國家衛生組織下的NCCAM研究單位，在2003年已將全球另類療法分爲五大類（見附表），包括系統化的醫學（如中醫、印度吠陀醫學等），心理身體療法（包括冥想、諮商、催眠等），生物化學療法（包括草藥、同類療法、維他命等），徒手物理性療法（如針刺、按摩、整脊等），以及能量醫學（如氣功、瑜珈、遠紅外線等）。這其中的能量醫學能夠由國外學者認定並接受爲一個類別的原由，一方面在於三調（調心、調身、調息）法的氣功也挾著數千年中國傳承且與中醫的關係而被雄廣到全世界，近20年來更有1-2千篇的國際論文發表，來討論它在養生、治病方面的琺代證據。二方面則在於源自二十世紀初的量子力學革命，證明光線同時具有波與粒子的性質，就是質與能是同時存在，也可以互換的，因而顛覆了古典牛頓力學的機械物質論。
事實上，古代很多名醫如華陀、孫思邈等都有用氣功治病的記載，尤其《諸病源候論》中不用藥物針灸治病，卻都用氣功法。然而畢竟氣功並不是中醫之主流，或許一者，氣功是要病人自行練習的，並非由醫者單方面負全責，二者，中醫要依理、法、方、藥，有一定的物質、炮製、或穴道，又分別跟五臟六腑、四肢骨骸有相當的關係。而氣功則多涉修爲，以身體爲整體，不重視解剖部位，更難以「看見」所謂之外功或內功。因此歷代中醫並未重現之，至1950年代才見有中醫氣功學的奠基，且被國外列入另類醫學的範疇。爲何經絡的氣血循環無法得到明證，氣功論氣卻得到世人的重視？因此本文就試由文獻研讀來分析氣功的氣與經絡的氣有何異同。

並列摘要

Qigong is a general term for a variety of traditional Chinese energy exercises and therapies that facilitate the flow of qi (vital energy). It refers to the self-training technique that integrates the adjustments of body posture, breathing, and mind status into one to achieve optimal status of both mind and body. Chinese practitioners have practiced various forms of Qigong for thousands of years to strengthen health, such as
Chan Ding in Buddhist deep mind concentration, Dao Yin in medical breathing exercise, and Nei Gong in the martial arts internal techniques. All mean inner cultivation. However, the term Qigong used to summarize all energy exercises was only a recent event since the 1950s.
A new development has emerged, qigongology, which combines ancient understanding with modern science and technology. Whether qi exists has been a question for the last 2 decades. Via research reports this is a fact. Physical signal detectors such as the far-infrared detectors (8-14mμ) detected a modified far-infrared radiation at a distance of 50cm from the palm of a Qigong practitioner A thermogram shows the movement of qi emission of thermal flow with the temperature raising up to 3℃. To encompass the vast amount of research performed on Qigong, the Qigong Institute has developed the Qigong & Energy Medicine Database that has about 4000 abstracts in English.
Qigong incorporates moving, standing, and sitting meditation. It rests on 2 concepts: qi, the vital energy of the body, and gong, the training or cultivation of qi. Qi is the foundational substance of the universe, and all the phenomena are produced by the changes and movement of the qi. Qigong claims to foster health and healing by promoting the smooth flow of qi throughout the body and has been found to have many potential beneficial effects on various disorder. There have been two major types of therapies: internal Qigong training (self-practice) and external Qigong therapy (EQT), which refers to the process that practitioners direct or emit their qi energy with the specific intention of helping patients to clear qi blockages, or to balance the qi flow in the body and get rid of diseases. From a scientific point of view, the promise of Qigong practices provides new avenues for understanding some of the subtle aspects of human life and its natural inclination to strive for balance. For clinicians it shifts our focus from a battle with disease to a cultivation of health.