How TCM Uses Medicine to Expel Evil

The notion of being possessed by evil spirits is difficult for ordinary people to understand, so no commentary will be made here. Only the methods of using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat such conditions will be excerpted.

 

1. Possession by Wood Evil Manifesting as Strange Anger

Some people suddenly see evil spirits, curse loudly, blame themselves, spit out thick saliva, look upward with their eyes, and are filled with rage, making them untouchable. People believe this is a disease of possession, but who would know it is actually an invasion of evil Qi in the Liver? Evil spirits vary, but generally, they are closely related to the Five Elements. This condition of possession is truly an invasion of Wood Qi evil. However, evil spirits invade only when the body's Qi is deficient. If the Liver Qi is not deficient, how can Wood evil enter? Therefore, to treat Wood evil, one must supplement the righteous Qi; when righteous Qi is strong, evil Qi finds it difficult to remain. Although the evil Qi is very strong, merely supplementing the righteous Qi will cause the evil to reject entry. One must add herbs that expel evil while supplementing the righteous Qi, so that the evil will retreat on its own, and the righteous Qi will grow stronger daily. The evil will dissipate secretly without needing to fight.

Prescription: Zhu Ke Tang (Expel the Guest Decoction)
Chai Hu (2 qian), Fu Ling (5 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Bai Shao (1 liang), Chao Zhi Zi (3 qian), Chang Pu (1 qian), Zhi Qiao (1 qian), Shen Qu (3 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Bai Zhu (3 qian), Bai Fan (2 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, the spirit calms; after two doses, anger subsides; after three doses, cursing stops, and phlegm-saliva gradually diminishes; after four doses, full recovery.

This formula pacifies Liver Qi and drains fire, supplements Liver blood and transforms phlegm. Once phlegm and fire are cleared, where can the evil hide? Moreover, half of the herbs in this formula attack evil. When Wood evil is strong, how dare it fight? It will abandon and leave.

This condition can also be effectively treated with Ding Hun Tang (Stabilize the Soul Decoction).

Bai Shao (2 liang), Chao Zhi Zi (3 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Rou Gui (3 fen), Zhi Qiao (1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose stabilizes the soul.

2. Possession by Fire Evil Manifesting as Collapse and Red Face
Some people suddenly encounter evil, fall down instantly, spit out phlegm-saliva, cannot speak, go mad and move chaotically, have bright red eyes, a face red as fire, and hair standing upright. This is an invasion of Heart Qi evil. The Heart belongs to Fire, so when evil invades the Heart, it is appropriate for Fire evil to attack the Heart. However, the Heart is the pure and quiet palace; it cannot be invaded. If invaded, death follows immediately. It is impossible for evil to attach to the body for a long time without causing death. This is actually Fire evil invading the Dan Zhong (膻中) organ, not the Heart organ itself. Dan Zhong is the minister assistant to the Heart monarch. When evil enters Dan Zhong, it approaches the Heart, and the Pericardium is invaded by evil. The Heart is startled and trembles, tightly closing its organs, so how can it issue orders to expel evil? As a minister assistant, fearing harm to the Heart monarch, anger fills the chest, manifesting on the face, eyes cracking from rage, and hair standing up from extreme indignation, caused by the provocation of evil. Although evil enters via Dan Zhong, if one does not treat the deficiency of Dan Zhong but only drains Fire evil, the righteous Qi will be further depleted, and the evil aura will become stronger, which is not a good treatment method. Prescription: Zhu Fu Qu Chu Tang (Assist the Organ to Expel Evil Decoction)
Ren Shen (5 qian), Fu Ling (3 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Sheng Zao Ren (3 qian), Yuan Zhi (2 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Huang Lian (2 qian), Zhi Qiao (1 qian), Bai Wei (2 qian), Bai Jie Zi (3 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. Two doses cause the evil to retreat.

This formula assists the righteous Qi of Dan Zhong and adds herbs to drain fire and eliminate phlegm. Thus, the evil cannot withstand the righteous Qi and will flee, disappearing without a trace.

This condition can also be effectively treated with Liang Xin Dan (Cool the Heart Pill).

Ren Shen, Fu Ling, Dan Shen (each 5 qian), Huang Lian, Ban Xia (each 3 qian), Wu Zhu Yu (5 fen), Chang Pu (1 qian), Sheng Jiang (5 slices), Mai Dong (1 liang). Decoct in water and take orally. Two doses bring peace.

3. Possession by Metal Evil Manifesting as Seeing Spirits and Madness

Some people suddenly become possessed, see ghosts and spirits, speak nonsense, claim to be cut by swords or axes, or shot by arrows, suffer from full-body pain, and cry out incessantly. People also think this is possession, but who would know it is an invasion of Lung Qi evil? The Lung belongs to Metal. When evil is strong and invades the deficiency of Lung Qi, it is naturally Metal Qi evil. The spirit is likely a general in golden armor, and the ghost has a ferocious appearance, or may have severed heads or broken arms, dripping with blood. It seems the evil enters from outside, not summoned from within. However, the Lung houses the Po (corporeal soul). When Lung Qi is deficient, the Po wanders outside. The Po belongs to Yin and is originally of the same kind as spirits and ghosts, making it easier for various evils to enter the body. Moreover, the Lung governs the skin and hair. When Lung Qi is deficient, the pores of the skin and hair all open, and evil enters through the empty apertures into the fu organs, and from there into the zang organs. How difficult is this? Therefore, to treat this evil, one must treat the Lung Qi. But the Lung is a delicate organ. Herbs that treat the Lung cannot enter directly into the Lung, so how can attacking herbs reach the Lung directly? What the Lung fears is Fire; what the Lung likes is Earth. Supplementing the Earth of the Spleen and Stomach will naturally strengthen the righteous Qi of the Lung; draining the Fire of the Heart meridian will naturally weaken the evil Qi of the Lung. In the process of supplementing Earth and draining Fire, adding a little to eliminate phlegm and expel evil is sufficient. Prescription: Zhu Jin Qu Xie Dan (Assist Metal to Expel Evil Pill)
Mai Dong (1 liang), Fu Ling (5 qian), Huang Lian (5 fen), Su Ye (1 qian), Jie Geng (2 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Bai Zhu (3 qian), Ren Shen (1 qian), Chen Pi (1 qian), Tian Hua Fen (3 qian), Shen Qu (2 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose clears the heart; two doses stabilize the Po; three doses disperse the evil.

This formula treats the Heart, Lung, Spleen, and Stomach meridians simultaneously. In attacking evil, it does not damage righteous Qi, so once righteous Qi returns, evil Qi disperses.

This condition can also be effectively treated with An Hun San (Calm the Soul Powder).

Jie Geng (3 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Qing Dai (5 qian), Bai Bu (1 qian), Shan Dou Gen (1 qian), Ren Shen (3 qian), Fu Ling (5 qian), Tian Hua Fen (3 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose brings peace.

4. Possession by Water Evil Manifesting as Lewd Behavior

Some people suddenly contract evil Qi, have blurry vision, see charming women or cute children, gaze intently at each other, flirt, and eventually become entangled in heart and soul, speaking deliriously and lewdly, whispering to themselves, feeling lost. All say it is possession, but this evil is actually Water evil of the Kidney Qi. Evil often enters when one has evil thoughts. The ancients said: If the heart is upright, why fear evil invasion? Thus, when righteous Qi is not weak, righteous and evil paths cannot coexist. Only when righteous Qi is deficient and evil thoughts arise does one provide an opportunity for evil to enter. But the Kidney has only supplementation, no drainage. Nowadays, everyone's Kidney Qi is deficient. When Kidney Qi is deficient, righteous Qi is also deficient. When it is said that the Kidney has only supplementation and no drainage, it refers to the True Yin of the Kidney, not the righteous Qi of the Kidney. When righteous Qi is deficient and evil fire is strong, and evil fire is strong, evil Qi is generated. Therefore, when righteous Qi is not depleted, although True Yin is slightly deficient, evil cannot enter. Only when True Yin is greatly deficient and righteous Qi is lost can evil take advantage. The treatment method must supplement the righteous Qi of the Kidney; the evil Qi does not need to be treated directly. Attacking evil in the Kidney will necessarily damage the righteous Qi in the Kidney. Therefore, the method of attacking evil lies not in attacking the Kidney, but in attacking the Stomach, as the Stomach is the gate of the Kidney. When evil is at the gate of the Kidney, the righteous Qi of the Kidney cannot connect upward to the Heart, causing delirious speech. Attacking the evil at the gate of the Kidney is precisely how to save the Kidney. Prescription: Dao Guan Jiu Shen Tang (Smash the Gate to Save the Kidney Decoction)
Ren Shen (5 qian), Bai Zhu (1 liang), Shan Yao (1 liang), Qian Shi (5 qian), Yi Ren (1 liang), Bai Jie Zi (3 qian), Ze Xie (3 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Xuan Shen (5 qian), Zhi Mu (1 qian), Hou Po (1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose eliminates phlegm-saliva; two doses stabilize the heart and soul; three doses bring full recovery.

This formula treats Stomach evil, but it is still a medicine for the Kidney, a dual treatment method. Some say treating the Kidney should not involve treating the Stomach, as the Stomach is above and the Kidney is below. How can treating the Stomach cure the condition? One does not know that herbs entering the Kidney must first enter the Stomach before reaching the Kidney. Therefore, draining Stomach evil is equivalent to draining Kidney evil.

Now treating both, there is no place for evil to hide between these two meridians, so it is not necessary to take many doses to achieve success.
This condition can also be effectively treated with Yi Zhu Shen Tang (Benefit Intelligence and Assist Spirit Decoction).

Bai Zhu, Shu Di (each 1 liang), Bai Jie Zi, Tian Hua Fen fried until black, Jing Jie (each 3 qian), Shan Zhu Yu, Ba Ji Tian (each 5 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. Four doses bring full recovery.

5. Possession by Earth Evil Manifesting as Sudden Laughter and Crying, or Restlessness

Some people contract evil Qi suddenly, shouting and screaming loudly, cursing people when they see them, feeling extreme thirst and demanding drinks, sweating profusely, resembling Yang collapse. However, in Yang collapse, there must be restlessness. In possession diseases, there is only loud shouting, while the body lies on the bed, with absolutely no climbing over walls or high places. Hearing wooden sounds causes laughter, hearing human speech brings a smile, seeing daylight causes fear, and seeing the color of the gallbladder causes惊 (startle). People think this is a heat disease of the Yang Ming, but who would know it is an invasion of Earth Qi evil? The Spleen and Stomach belong to Earth. The Spleen belongs to Yin, and the Stomach belongs to Yang. Earth evil is mostly irregular Qi, so the disease involves both Yin and Yang, making it difficult to treat. Attacking the Yang while Yin evil remains will cause lingering issues; attacking the Yin while Yang evil remains will cause more manic inflammation. One must treat both Yin and Yang simultaneously for the evil to dare not stay. Prescription: Jian Gong Tang (Dual Attack Decoction):

Shi Gao (5 qian), Ren Shen (3 qian), Bai Zhu (1 liang), Hou Po (2 qian), Tian Nan Xing (3 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Chen Pi (1 qian), Mai Dong (1 liang). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose calms the spirit; two doses bring peace; three doses bring full recovery.

This formula treats both Spleen and Stomach, draining Yang fire to calm the Stomach, and removing Yin phlegm to nourish the Spleen. When Spleen and Stomach Qi are strong, evil finds it difficult to invade the righteous. Humans rely on Spleen and Stomach as the main foundation. Earth evil invades by attaching to Earth. Why is it called difficult to treat? One does not know that when righteous Earth Qi is intermingled with evil Earth Qi, righteous Earth will collapse. When the righteous Qi of Earth declines, evil Qi of Earth enters. Should we not urgently supplement the righteous Qi? Therefore, when all evils attack humans, one should urgently supplement the righteous Qi, and especially for Earth evil, supplementing the righteous is crucial. If one only attacks the evil, ten people will die ten times; this must be warned against.

This condition can also be effectively treated with Pei Tu Yin (Nourish Earth Decoction).
Ren Shen (3 qian), Bai Zhu (1 liang), Fu Ling (5 qian), Ban Xia (3 qian), Fu Zi (3 fen), Xuan Shen (1 liang). Decoct in water and take orally. Two doses bring cure.

6. Possession by Earth Evil Manifesting as Nakedness and Running

Some people are possessed by ghosts and demons for a year without recovery, naked with staring eyes, cursing loudly and driving people away, not allowing anyone near the doctor. If treated with medicine, they fall to the ground, helpless. People think this is evil invading the Heart, but who would know it is Fire and Heat in the Stomach? When Stomach fire erupts, it is often incurable. Why does possession by ghosts and demons not cause mania? Mania is self-induced mania, not mania forced upon oneself by another. Forced mania is still a haunting, not a disease. Only those without hauntings can be treated for mania; those with hauntings, when treated for mania, cannot take medicine. What then? Mania disease always involves Stomach heat. Heat diseases seeing water always bring joy and satisfaction. I use water to resolve heat, and thus use water to calm mania. Prescription: Zhen Shui San (Water-Resolving Powder):

Use dozens of earthworms, crush them, throw into water, and stir well. After a short while, remove the mud. Take this clean water in a large basin, place it in front of the patient. Do not urge them to drink. The patient will see it with joy and drink it themselves, then sleep peacefully. Upon waking, the mania will be calm, and the haunting will leave.
Hauntings most love cleanliness and hate filth. When earthworms enter water, the water becomes filthy. Filth is what ghosts and demons hate, but water is what the patient likes. The patient wants to drink it themselves, and the haunting cannot forbid it. Earthworms resolve the evil in the Stomach and are good at clearing the Heart, so it tastes refreshing upon entry. The Heart is cleared, heat is resolved, and how can the haunting possess and cause mania again?

This condition can also be effectively treated with Jie Mei Dan (Dissolve Haunting Pill).
Bai Fan (2 qian), Gan Cao, Li Lu (1 qian). Decoct in water. Hold the patient and pour it in. One dose will cause massive vomiting and cure; do not take more than one dose.