Five Spirits: Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological And Spiritual Healing (Paperback)

~ Lorie Eve Dechar (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Five Spirits are the Taoist map of the human psyche. The system provides a mythical view of the nervous system and forms the basis of Chinese medical psychology. It also describes a precise and efficient technology for spiritual transformation, the process through which a human being rediscovers their essential wholeness and innate connection to the divine.

The Five Spirits can be understood as the Taoist version of the Chakra System of Vedic India. Like the chakras, the spirits exist as centers of consciousness in the subtle body rather than as structures in the physical body. Just as each chakra relates to a particular level of consciousness, each spirit relates to a particular aspect of human awareness, a particular vibration or frequency of psychic energy. An understanding of the Five Spirits is the key that opens the doorway to the mysteries of Taoist psycho-spiritual alchemy. By taking advantage of the discoveries of Western archetypal psychology and new discoveries about the mind and nervous system, we can decipher the Five Spirits and reorganize the system in a way that has proven to be clinically invaluable in treating psychosomatic, emotional, and psychospiritual distress.

About the Author

Lorie Eve Dechar’s unique approach to the practice of traditional Chinese medicine emerges from her commitment to discovering a healthier and more integrated way for herself and other human beings to live on planet Earth. Her background includes a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute and training in Archetypal Psychology, Gestalt and Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy as well as stints as a gardener, environmental activist, poet and Zen student. Lorie currently maintains a private practice in Manhattan and Nyack, New York, where she focuses on the interconnections between physical, emotional and spiritual issues in her patients’ lives. She is a member of the faculty of the Tri-State College of Acupuncture in New York City and leads workshops and trainings nationwide. Lorie divides her time between New York and East Blue Hill, Maine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Lantern Books (November 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590560922
• ISBN-13: 978-1590560921
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not what I expected...., August 3, 2007

By	munay - See all my reviews

I'm an acupuncture student and was looking for a more in depth discussion of the mystical aspect of acupuncture...The title is beautiful and implies insight into the spiritual and alchemical aspects of acupuncture, yet it does not do that. Instead we are given case histories and few acupuncture points used, but no background info as to why those points were chosen. There was nothing alchemical or spiritual about the book. Although it does give a good example of the interview process of the patient.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Spirits for Inspiration and Healing, March 24, 2006

By	Phyllis Stern (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found Lorie Dechar's Five Spirits to be breathtaking in the way it presents a new vision and context for healing. When talking about the ephemeral "spirits" of Chinese Taoist thought (which are guideposts on our journey, like the chakras), she shows that the journey downward that includes the parts of ourselves that seem most chaotic and where we have least control is a journey to true integration. I read this book after a recent illness, and it helped me to turn toward deep forces for healing within myself. With many case histories and graphics, this book is also a joy to read -- entertaining, engaging and beautifully written! I would recommmend it to professional healers, or to anyone on a personal healing journey.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A book that in the display the wealth of the human soul according to the Taoist vision of the Chinese Traditional Medicine., October 23, 2007

By	Daniel M. Netto (São Paulo, Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book, "Five Spirits", it is indispensable the all that that works with psychology and acupuncture. Being more thoroughly known the five spirits, Shen, Hun, Yi, Po and Zhi, we can understand the disturbances psychic, spiritual, mental, emotional and physical better that so much afflicts us, still more in a life so afflicted that the modern times impinge us. It is an easy and fluent reading, of great value to all searching of the human knowledge. Every acupuncturist and psychologist should read this book, and even the veterinary doctors that work with disturbances of animal behavior. It is a good book!