The Geometry of Emotions: Using Chakra Acupuncture and 5-Phase Theory to Describe Personality Archetypes for Clinical Use

Abstract

Background: The 5-Phase theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been an integral part of medical acupuncture for 2000 years. The research of John R. Cross PhD, PhDAc, has resulted in a further evolution of the 5-Phase theory to include the Ayurvedic chakra energy centers. By using chakras, a clinician can appreciate the integration of human organ systems, the neuroendocrine system, and personality attributes (both positive and negative) associated with each chakra. Objective: To create personality archetypes from chakras that have practical clinical value. Design: By assigning chakras to the 5-Phase elements on a pentagon per Dr. Cross, it was possible to connect a series of negative or positive emotions, from one to another, using the familiar Ko cycles and Shen cycles, to form theoretical personality archetypes and then to demonstrate archetype usefulness in a sample clinical case. The patient was being treated with Japanese acupuncture. The main outcome sought was to determine the personality types according to the 5-Phase theory with chakra energy centers included and to demonstrate the application of this system in the clinical case. Results: Fourteen personality archetypes-seven composed of positive emotions and seven composed of negative emotions-were identified. Easy-to-remember names and familiar patterns of emotion that are mapped to the nodes of a pentagon (adapted to chakra acupuncture) were produced. The clinical case showed that the patient's work life conflicts resulted in negative archetype emotional patterns (anger, scarcity, lack of self-esteem) consistent with the presentation of irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, liver illness, and osteoarthritis. Conclusions: Personality archetypes have clinical value for understanding the emotions associated with illness.

Keywords: 5-Phase theory; archetypes; chakra; chakra acupuncture; chakra archetypes; irritable bowel syndrome; personality archetypes.

FIG. 1.

The position of the chakras on the body with reference to acupuncture points, and spine and cranial landmarks. Chakras are often depicted as blossoms. In addition, the major chakras are listed with their coupled chakras. See text for further details.

FIG. 2.

The 5-Phase elements: Emotions, and settings and chakras in chakra acupuncture. The phase elements are renamed according to the author's convention for patient education and to distinguish this 5-phase treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicine 5-Phase treatments. John R. Cross, PhD, PhD, Ac, moved the Liver Meridian to the Earth Life Phase for chakra acupuncture.^, VS, versus; R, right.

FIG. 3.

A chakra archetype (CAT) is formed from two Ko cycles and a single Shen cycle, using modular arithmetic. For example, a (+)Alpha CAT begins at node 2, which is its focus, then proceeds 2 units (via Ko cycle) to node 4, followed by 2 units (second Ko cycle) to node 1, followed by a return of 1 unit to node 2 (Shen cycle) to complete the expression of the CAT. Emotional attributes of the CAT formed come from the chakras that are connected by this method. The (+)CATs and (-)CATs of a given chakra are the boundaries of a CAT pattern. Individual personalities are a mix of the archetypes. N, node; CAT, chakra archetype.