Shen is the Chinese word for spirit. Unlike the western connotations of spirit, which may focus on the intangible and unknowable soul, shen incorporates the mind. The shen is rooted in the Heart, which incorporates the organ, but also has the ‘poetic’ elements of the heart as well. When there is a disorder of the spirit, or a “shen disorder” in Eastern medicine, we are speaking of the complete spectrum of emotional and intellectual disorders, save depression and grief, which are provinces of the wood and metal phases respectively. However, depression and grief still involve the shen, just not as directly as say schizophrenia.
Mania is a shen disorder where the spirit is agitated by excessive heat, usually from the yang ming channel, or fire pouring into the Heart from the Liver. Catatonia is an extreme example of ‘insubstantial phlegm’ misting over the sensory orifices and blocking the shen’s access to the external world. A less severe manifestation of this is someone who looks glazed over in the eyes and seems confused or distracted.
