Monday, January 26, 2009

Compared with Western medicine, most of us will wonder in amazement where does Traditional Chinese Medicine(will use TCM for short) even come into play, or in fact, religion faith and culture. I'm going to say something absolute, something straightforward, and impactful. We are taking things for granted. Yes, all of us, including me. We live in this technologically enhanced world with everything backed up, done for us - with babies being innoculated against diseases, with life-threatening viruses paled away in history - that everything negative seems 'unlikely' to happen. We take things for granted that the western scientists with their advanced bio-technology can solve every kind of threat, but we are actually living behind a screen; one that filters out the REAL world out there. It's a constant fight against disease, and someday, we might lose. What really needs to happen, is(touch wood), for something drastic to occur; then people will be shaken out of their state of comfort and into panic; panic, from realization that we were so helpless all along, that without the struggling scientists' efforts we didn't stand a chance from the start, even against common influenza per say. When all hope is lost, when no helping hand is available, the 'outcasted' pillars of support like religion will kick in; probably this is the only time that people can appreciate such aloof, but endearing mediums of faith.

On another note, TCM can achieve what Western medicine can't at times. For example, acupuncture can block certain movements of limbs. It is mind-boggling to even think about how the Chinese managed to taste and classify every different herb and find it's use - to concoct prescriptions, to test them out, and even be successful. The tons of acupoints in the body - how did they discover them?! If we only put our perceptual sets and differences aside, and harmonize both sides of technology, then I believe disease will meet a foe to be reckoned with.