Exploring the Meaning of"Syndrome"in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Perspective of Somaesthetics
GUO Qi
HAN Jiatong
ZHANG Han
ZHANG Jianmin
YANG Qiuli
DU Jian
WANG Hao
Abstract：The understanding of"syndrome"in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a key focus and challenge in fundamental research.As"syndrome"encompasses the comprehensive perception of patients by physicians through the four diagnostic methods,its connotation is difficult to fully interpret through scientific experiments alone.This paper attempts to introduce the concept of somaesthetics to explore the meaning of"syndrome"in a more profound and nuanced manner.The study focuses on analyzing four major syndrome differentiation systems:the six-meridian syndrome differentiation system interprets changes in bodily tension due to disease;the defense-Qi-nutrient-blood syndrome differentiation system reflects the depth of disease stagnation;the triple-energizer syndrome differentiation system focuses on obstructed bodily pathways;and the visceral syndrome differentiation system explains the gradually accumulating bodily deviations in internal injury diseases.This paper argues that somaesthetics and TCM share common goals in pursuing self-awareness,self-acceptance,and the harmonious unity of body,mind,and the spatiotemporal environment.Exploring"syndrome"from the perspective of somaesthetics not only helps visualize and concretize abstract TCM concepts but also provides rich practical examples for the fundamental principles of somaesthetics.
Keywords：SomaestheticsSyndrome differentiationSyndrome
Publication Date：2026-03-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-31(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 597-601 )