Zhuyou Shu | The Mysterious and Powerful Extraordinary Technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine

In the long scroll of Traditional Chinese Medicine, there exists a unique and mysterious branch — Zhuyou Shu. It employs no acupuncture, herbs, or substances, but uses language, symbols, and intention as healing mediums,can be described as an "information therapy" in ancient medicine.

Zhuyou was part of TCM and one of the thirteen specialized departments in the Imperial Medical Bureau during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, hence also known as the "Zhuyou Thirteen Departments."

I. What is Zhuyou?
In ancient times when medicine was still nascent, diseases were often attributed to supernatural forces. Zhuyou Shu germinated in such cognitive soil, becoming a bridge connecting the human body and the unknown world. What is Zhuyou? Its name itself holds profound meaning: "Zhu" refers to praying to deities, and "You" seeks the origin of the illness, reflecting the ancient practice of preventing disease and strengthening the body by regulating life energy.

But the root cause of disease cannot be prayed away with mere words. Therefore, reinforcement through suggestion was necessary, inevitably giving rise to a series of rituals like drawing talismans, chanting incantations, and even spirit dancing. A person suffering from illness, tormented by pain, has a mindset that healthy people cannot fully understand: sickness implies death; pain implies greater pain. Under the shadow of death, one becomes pessimistic and hopeless. No sorrow is greater than a dead heart; if the heart is dead, the illness is hard to cure; if there is hope in the heart, the illness is easier to overcome.

The rituals of Zhuyou, in their mysterious way, reassure the patient and give them hope. Perhaps from then on, the patient's mindset changes, and the course of the illness changes accordingly – previously tending towards death, now tending towards life. This is one aspect.

Secondly, many illnesses actually stem from the patient's momentary inability to overcome a mental hurdle, being confused by greed, anger, and delusion, leading to fixation. If the fixation remains, the illness remains. Through Zhuyou, removing this fixation can create a turning point for the illness.

II. Why Does Zhuyou Shu Work?
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states: "I have heard that in treating diseases in ancient times, one only needed to shift the essence and alter the Qi, which could be done by Zhuyou."

According to ancient explanations, the heart is the monarch organ. Negative emotions (the seven emotions) can affect the Qi and blood flow of the internal organs, subsequently leading to pathological changes in various parts of the body. TCM often says anger harms the liver, joy harms the heart, sorrow harms the lungs, pensiveness harms the spleen, and fear harms the kidneys, illustrating this principle. Zhuyou Shu specifically treats the "heart," using "shifting essence and altering Qi" to change the patient's mental fixations, allowing their Qi and blood to return to normal and flow smoothly.

In modern terms, Zhuyou Shu works primarily by constructing a powerful field of psychological suggestion: that the patient's illness can be cured. Hence, the solemn rituals, authoritative practitioners, mysterious and complex talismans, and incantations all contribute to the patient developing a strong belief in being healed. This strong belief can activate the brain's self-healing mechanisms and alleviate the patient's anxiety, thereby genuinely reducing symptoms or leading to recovery.

Simultaneously, the patient confiding their illness to the practitioner—"telling the cause of the disease"—followed by the practitioner's explanation (even if supernatural), comfort, and承诺 to the patient and their family, constitutes a form of psychological counseling. Some Zhuyou actions, like having the patient discard an item representing the pathogenic factor, represent a behavioral "cutting off" and "farewell," helping the patient psychologically break free from their fixation on the disease and speeding up recovery.

In fact, there are many folk healing practices around us that can be considered forms of "Zhuyou":

1. "Calling back the soul" or "collecting the fright" for frightened children by elders.

2. Rolling eggs – "energy transfer" to absorb pathogenic Qi.

3. Verbal blessings after a sneeze: e.g., "Live a hundred years!" or "Someone is thinking of you!"

4. Standing chopsticks – a "diagnostic ritual" for unexplained discomfort.

III. The Practice of Integrated Body-Mind Healing
Zhuyou Shu is built on a fundamental认知: the human body is isomorphic with the cosmos, constituting a sophisticated energy field system. Health stems from the harmonious flow of internal and external energy, while disease manifests as energy blockage or imbalance. Through specific blessings, incantations, and talismans, the therapist attempts to recalibrate the body's energy frequency, restoring its natural resonance with the universe.

This system developed rich technical methods, primarily revolving around three core elements:

1. Prohibition Method (禁法 Jin Fa) - Acts like an energy barrier, using specific sound frequencies or intention to restrict pathological development.

2. Incantation Method (咒法 Zhou Fa) - Utilizes specific sounds, rhythms, and word combinations to regulate the patient's psychological state and stimulate self-healing potential.

3. Talisman Method (符法 Fu Fa) - Employs symbolic graphics to construct special channels between the human body and cosmic energy.

Contemporary research shows that firm belief and positive psychological suggestion can indeed influence physiological states, which coincides with some principles of Zhuyou Shu. Perhaps the true value of Zhuyou Shu lies not in its mysterious forms, but in its early practice of the "body-mind unity" healing concept.