22 Nov

Four-Level Thinking: Rethinking Chinese and Western Medicine

by PhD.Win In: about acupuncture - 0 Comment

Preface to Four-Level Thinking: Rethinking Chinese and Western Medicine

— How Four-Level Thinking Gives Chinese and Western Medicine a Shared Language for the First Time

For many years, “Chinese medicine versus Western medicine” has been an endless debate.
Some insist that Chinese medicine is true holistic medicine;
others believe that Western medicine is the only real science.
Some people worship machines and data,
while others place their trust in meridians and qi–blood.

The more heated the debate becomes,
the simpler the conclusions tend to be.
The richer the information,
the poorer the understanding.

Why?

Because we have been trying to compare two medical systems that operate on different levels of understanding,
while forcing them onto the same flat plane.

The issue is not whether Chinese medicine is “better” or Western medicine is “better”,
but that they look at the human body from different cognitive levels.

I. Why Do Debates Between Chinese and Western Medicine Never End?

Because we are trying to compare two multi-dimensional systems
with a single, linear way of thinking.

Western medicine starts from points:
tissues, organs, lab values, anatomical structures, lesions.

Chinese medicine starts from fields:
qi, shen (spirit), meridians, constitution, rhythms.

They are not looking at the same picture.

So most arguments are essentially asking:

“Which is better – the microscope or the satellite image?”

The microscope gives you clarity, but over a very small area.
The satellite image gives you the whole landscape, but with fewer details.

The real question is not which one to choose,
but what each of them is actually able to see.

To make this debate meaningful,
we need a higher-level coordinate system.

II. Four-Level Thinking: Re-understanding the Human Body Through Point, Line, Plane and Spirit

After more than forty years of clinical practice
— spanning Western medicine, Chinese medicine, structural medicine, and neurological diagnostics —
I gradually realized one thing:

The human body cannot be understood from a single level.

Out of this realization came a simple yet powerful framework:

Point → Line → Plane → Spirit

Level One: Point
We look at the local, the structural, the lesion, the lab value.
This is where modern Western medicine is strongest:
emergency care, surgery, infection control, intensive care.

Level Two: Line
We look at connections and directions between points:
neural pathways, tension lines, meridian routes, chains of symptoms and causality.
This is the core of traditional medicine, modern pain medicine, and functional medicine.

Level Three: Plane
We look at the whole system and network:
overall posture, tension fields, the global circulation of qi and blood,
the autonomic nervous system,
and the interaction between sleep, metabolism and emotion.
This is key to understanding chronic illness, functional disorders, and constitutional patterns.

Level Four: Spirit (Field)
We look at the integration of life:
emotion, will, self-healing capacity, biological rhythms, central integration,
and how the “life field” governs the entire body.

These four levels are not mysticism.
They are different tiers of cognition.
This is the framework I distilled after many years of observing and treating real human bodies.

III. How Four-Level Thinking Gives Chinese and Western Medicine a Shared Language

Once we use this four-level framework to examine the two medical systems,
things suddenly become clearer:

Western medicine is strongest at:
Level One (Point) and part of Level Two (Line).

It is precise, measurable, verifiable, operable, and controllable.
It is highly effective for clear lesions, structural damage, acute and critical conditions.

Chinese medicine is strongest at:
Level Two (Line), Level Three (Plane), and Level Four (Spirit).

It focuses on overall patterns, trends and directions,
on systems, life fields, rhythms and constitution.
It can explain why problems recur,
why they spread,
why they become widespread or systemic,
and why “one place hurts but the origin is somewhere else” —
precisely where Western medicine is relatively weak.

Each system has its strengths and its limitations.
Because they stand on different levels,
they are in fact complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

Four-level thinking is not designed to “reconcile” the two sides,
but to show that:

Many of the arguments were never on the same level to begin with.

When we stand on the ground of four-level thinking,
the differences between Chinese and Western medicine are no longer a binary opposition,
but a multi-layered panorama in which the two systems
reveal and complete each other.

IV. Why Am I Writing This Series?

Because I have seen too many people trapped between systems:

They undergo countless tests, yet no cause is found.
They take many medications, yet the problem does not resolve.
They follow one theoretical model of treatment,
but never consider the entire functional pathway behind it.
They fixate on a single point,
while neglecting the whole plane of interaction.
They are caught in debates,
yet never truly understand the foundations of either medical system.

I hope to use the simplest possible framework
to help ordinary people — and even doctors —
re-understand both Chinese medicine and modern Western medicine.

To see their validity,
and also to see their boundaries.

This is popular science,
but it is also a systematic整理 of medical thinking —
and perhaps the groundwork for a future book.

V. This Will Be a Series, and Also a Doorway

Starting from this preface,
I will write step by step from several angles:

Understanding the human body through four-level thinking
Understanding diagnosis through four-level thinking
Comparing treatment logic through four-level thinking
Looking at chronic illness, pain, and functional medicine through four-level thinking
Looking at emotion, sleep, and the nervous system through four-level thinking
Understanding constitution, rhythms, and the life field through four-level thinking
Why, in the end, modern and traditional medicine must converge at the “Spirit level”

This project is both popular science and theoretical construction.
It speaks to the general public,
but also to the doctors of the future.

This is the starting point of the series.

My hope is that, by walking this path,
we can move the conversation between Chinese and Western medicine:

from argument → to understanding
from mutual exclusion → to mutual complementarity
from fragmentation → to genuine integration

In the end, medicine is not a forced choice between two camps.
In the end, medicine is about seeing the larger picture.

Chapter One · Four-Level Thinking: The Foundational Language for Understanding the Human Body

(English Translation)

The human body is complex.
No single layer of understanding can fully explain it.
Any medical system that relies on only one perspective will inevitably encounter blind spots.

Four-Level Thinking divides all human phenomena into four cognitive layers:

Point — structure and locality
Line — connection and direction
Plane — system and global pattern
Spirit — integration and vital intention

This is a self-consistent framework with no overlap and no gaps.
It does not create a new form of medicine—it simply places each medical system back into its proper cognitive level.

I. Level One: Point — The Layer of Structural Units

Definition
A Point is the smallest observable unit of the human body—structural, local, and material.

Points include:

Organs, anatomical regions, nerves, muscles, tendons
Lesions visible on imaging (herniations, tears, degenerations)
Laboratory markers (glucose, CRP, hormones, etc.)
Any unit that can be measured, quantified, or precisely located

Nature of Point:
Static, local, divisible—the material reality of the body.

What Points can explain:

Trauma, tears, fractures
Infections, tumors
Organ failure
Abnormal blood or biochemical markers
Acute diseases and critical conditions

What Points cannot explain:

Referred pain (belongs to Line)
Postural problems (belongs to Plane)
Emotion-induced pain (belongs to Spirit)
Functional disorders with normal structure (Line/Plane)

A Point can explain local facts,
but cannot explain global relationships.

II. Level Two: Line — The Layer of Connection and Dynamics

Definition
A Line is the dynamic relationship between Points—its direction, pathway, and causal chain.
It asks: “From where to where? And why does one part influence another?”

Lines include:

Neural pathways
Tension-transmission pathways
Muscle synergy pathways
Force lines (e.g., ground reaction → pelvis → spine)
Meridian directional pathways
Qi movement (ascending/descending)
Symptom chains (numbness → weakness; bloating → back pain)

Nature of Line:
Dynamic, causal, directional — a mechanistic explanation.

What Lines can explain:

Why foot pain originates from the lumbar spine
Why shoulder pain originates from the neck
Why stress affects digestion
Why pain radiates or “pulls” to another area
How functional disorders flare or subside

What Lines cannot explain:

Multi-system interactions (Plane)
Autonomic nervous system integration (Spirit)
Constitution and biological rhythms (Plane/Spirit)

Lines explain relationships,
not the whole system.

III. Level Three: Plane — The Layer of Systems and Global Patterns

Definition
A Plane consists of many Lines woven together into a unified operating system.
It examines systemic behavior, not local behavior.

Planes include:

Global posture (upper/lower crossed syndrome, pelvic tilt)
Integrated muscle–fascia–skeletal system
Autonomic nervous system (sympathetic/parasympathetic patterns)
Overall visceral functional patterns
The meridian network system
Interactions among emotion, metabolism, and sleep
Constitution and life rhythms

Nature of Plane:
Systemic, holistic, network-based, field-like.

What Planes can explain:

Why prolonged sitting causes multi-site pain
Why low back pain and leg pain often coexist
Why “poor digestion → poor sleep → palpitations → neck tension”
Why posture affects visceral function

What Planes cannot explain:

Will, intention, vital direction (Spirit)
Deep psychological trauma (Spirit)

Planes explain system-level patterns,
but not life-level integration.

IV. Level Four: Spirit — The Layer of Life Integration

Definition
Spirit is the highest integrative capacity of a living organism—
governing emotion, consciousness, will, self-healing, and adaptive capacity.

This is not a religious concept.
It is the medical concept of the body’s Central Integrator.

Spirit includes:

Autonomic nervous integration (sympathetic/parasympathetic balance)
The brain’s interpretation of pain
Emotional and behavioral patterns
Will and purposefulness
Sleep rhythms
Recovery capacity
The sense of vitality

Nature of Spirit:
The central governing system of life—
determining how a person lives, reacts, recovers, and experiences pain.

What Spirit can explain:

Why stress leads to full-body pain
Why chronic illnesses can persist for ten years
Why some people are prone to anxiety and pain amplification
Why “poor sleep → poor mood → poor physical function”
Why some patients worsen despite treatment

What Spirit cannot explain:

Definite structural lesions (Point)
Confirmed anatomical damage (Point)

Spirit explains how life operates itself,
the core of the four levels.

Summary of This Chapter

Point is static.
Line is dynamic.
Plane is systemic.
Spirit is integrative.

The four levels do not conflict, do not overlap, and leave no blind spot.
Together they form the simplest and most stable language
for understanding every phenomenon of the human body.

Chapter Two · The Tensional System: The Common Foundation of Structure and Function

(English Translation)

Over the past decades, the concept of the myofascial chain has become extremely popular—especially in structural medicine, physiotherapy, and sports rehabilitation. It has been widely used to explain posture, pain, and movement patterns.

However, when placed within the framework of Four-Level Thinking, two major problems immediately appear:

It is too linear and cannot reflect the truly holistic, field-like nature of human tension.
The word “chain (line)” easily conflicts with the second level of this book—Line (connection and direction).

Therefore, in this book, I will no longer use the term “myofascial chain.”
Instead, I adopt a more scientific, systematic, and Four-Level-compatible concept:

The Tensional System

It represents the modern medical understanding of the deep coupling between structure, biomechanics, posture, and the nervous system.
It is one of the most important ways Western medicine contributes to understanding the human body as an integrated whole.

2.1 Concept of the Tensional System

The tensional system refers to:

A continuous, body-wide network formed by fascia, muscles, tendons, ligaments, neural tension, visceral suspensory structures, and pressure systems of the body cavities.

This network can pull or anchor, transmit force or regulate nerve function,
influence structure or modulate function.

It is the body’s:

Structural framework
Mechanical distribution system
Postural maintenance system
Movement coordination system
Foundation of pain and compensation
Channel through which emotions affect the body

Simply put:
The tensional system is one of the most important—and most overlooked—systems of the human body.

2.2 Components of the Tensional System

The tensional system spans the entire body and is composed of multiple layers:

1) Fascia

Envelops, connects, and separates all structures.
It is the main carrier of tension and has continuity, plasticity, and extensibility.

2) Muscles and Myofascia

Muscle contraction and relaxation alter local tension and transmit force through fascia—
the main source of dynamic tension.

3) Tendons and Ligaments

Anchor tension and muscle force to bones or structural nodes—
the “hooks” that direct tensional pathways.

4) Neural Tension

Nerves possess tension properties as well.
Stretch, compression, or irritation can alter pain patterns and motor control.
Examples:
Sciatic nerve tension → unstable gait
Cervical nerve tension → hand numbness

5) Bone Anchor Points

Bony prominences (tuberosities, spines, ridges) act as key attachment and redirection points for tension.

6) Visceral Suspensory System

Ligaments and mesenteries that suspend organs:
Tension in these structures greatly affects the musculoskeletal system.
Examples:
Tight stomach → back pain
Tight diaphragm → neck/shoulder strain
Pelvic organ tension → lumbosacral discomfort

7) Pressure Systems of the Body Cavities

Thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic pressures shape the overall tensional pattern.
The true “core system” consists of:

Diaphragm
Pelvic floor
Transversus abdominis
Multifidus

Together, these form a continuous, integrated tension-regulating mechanism.

These elements collectively form a continuous, unified tensional network
that supports human posture, movement, and adaptability.

2.3 Primary Tensional Directions: From “Chains” to a Tensional Field

Although the tensional system is one integrated network, tension in space is not evenly distributed.
Through millions of years of evolution, the human body developed several Primary Tensional Directions that determine:

Posture
Movement chains
Pain distribution
Compensation patterns

Traditional structural medicine refers to these as “deep front line,” “superficial front line,” “superficial back line,” and “lateral line.”

To avoid confusion with Level Two (“Line”), I redefine them as:

Primary Tensional Directions

Deep Tensional Axis
Anterior Tensional Surface
Posterior Tensional Surface
Lateral Tensional Surface

These four directions form the main framework of the tensional system.

2.3.1 Deep Tensional Axis — The Core Stability Mast

Corresponds to the traditional Deep Front Line,
but this book emphasizes the axis, not a line.

Includes:

Diaphragm
Psoas and iliacus
Transversus abdominis, multifidus
Pelvic floor
Deep spinal muscles
Mesenteric and visceral suspensory structures

Functions:

Maintain internal stability
Regulate breathing efficiency
Establish the “central axis” of posture
Influence visceral function
Determine whether the body can truly “stand tall” or “flex naturally”

Clinical significance:

Excessive deep tension → sympathetic dominance → insomnia, anxiety, stiff neck and shoulders
Insufficient deep tension → low back pain, weak legs, pelvic instability, collapsed core

This is one of the most common—and most overlooked—roots of dysfunction.

2.3.2 Anterior Tensional Surface — The Dynamic Surface

Corresponds to the Superficial Front Line.

Includes:

Pectoralis major/minor
Rectus abdominis
Hip flexor group
Tibialis anterior
Foot dorsiflexors

Functions:

Flexion and forward movement
Step length and forward propulsion
Pelvic tilt
Coordination among chest, abdomen, hips, and foot

Clinical significance:

Excessive tension → kyphosis, chest tightness, forward head posture, hip-flexor low back pain
Weak tension → unstable standing, weak running power, abdominal sagging

A major problem in modern sedentary lifestyles.

2.3.3 Posterior Tensional Surface — The Stability Surface

Corresponds to the Superficial Back Line.

Includes:

Plantar fascia
Gastrocnemius–soleus complex
Hamstrings
Gluteus maximus
Erector spinae
Neck extensors
Scalp fascia

Functions:

Upright posture
Spinal curvature integrity
Tensile recoil during gait
Posterior body stability

Clinical significance:

Excessive tension → posterior chain tightness, low back pain, headaches, cervical compression
Weak tension → kyphosis, weak low back, fatigue from walking

This is one of the strongest generators of pulling-type pain.

2.3.4 Lateral Tensional Surface — The Balance Surface

Corresponds to the Lateral Line.

Includes:

Gluteus medius/minimus
Tensor fascia lata
Iliotibial band
Quadratus lumborum
Lateral abdominal muscles
Lateral cervical muscles
Lateral foot muscles

Functions:

Lateral stability
Rotation control
Gait stabilization
Pelvic leveling
Shoulder height symmetry

Clinical significance:

Excess → pelvic shift, scoliosis, ITB pain, lateral hip pain
Weak → poor stair climbing, gait drifting, unstable posture

Nearly all patients with “misalignment” have lateral tensional imbalance.

2.3.5 Integration of the Four Directions: The Tensional Field

These directions are not separate—they combine into a Tensional Field, determining:

Posture
Gait pattern
Spinal curvature
Pelvic rotation
Shoulder–neck configuration
Compensation
Pain distribution
Emotional tension patterns
Autonomic nervous balance

This is the structural bridge from Point → Line → Plane → Spirit in Four-Level Thinking.

2.4 Functions of the Tensional System

The tensional system governs almost all major structural and functional behaviors of the body:

1) Posture

Posture is not created by bones.
Bones are simply “pulled” into position by tension.

Kyphosis
Forward head posture
Shoulder asymmetry
Pelvic tilt
O/X legs

All are tensional patterns, not bone problems.

2) Stability

The body’s stability does not come from joint surfaces “locking,”
but from balanced tension.

When tension distribution fails, all structures drift out of place.

This explains why many “misalignments”
reset themselves when tension changes.

3) Movement Coordination

The tensional system determines:

The sequence of muscle activation
Synergy among regions
How movement chains operate
How force transmits through the body

Walking, running, lifting, and sports performance
are all patterns of tensional coordination.

4) Pain and Compensation

Pain is rarely caused by “local damage.”
Most pain originates from uneven tension.

Examples:

Tight calf → low back pain
Tight scalenes → hand numbness
Tight hip flexors → knee pain
Tight diaphragm → upper back pain
Tight pelvic floor → lumbosacral pain

Compensation is the tensional system’s automatic survival strategy.
When one region cannot hold tension, another region takes over—
causing new pain.

5) Neural Function

The tensional system is tightly coupled with the nervous system:

Excess tension → sympathetic overdrive → poor sleep, fast heartbeat, anxiety
Proper relaxation → parasympathetic activation → better digestion, reduced pain, better recovery

This is the foundational mechanism behind
“why emotions affect the body.”

2.5 The Tensional System Within the Four-Level Framework

Placed back into the Four-Level Thinking model, the tensional system aligns perfectly:

Level One: Point

Local expressions of tension:

Fascia nodes
Muscle attachment points
Bone protrusions
Tender points
Tight spots

Level Two: Line

Directional expressions of tension:

Tensional pathways
Pulling directions
Force lines from one point to another

We intentionally avoid the word chain to prevent confusion with Level Two “Line.”

Level Three: Plane

System-level patterns:

Global posture
Compensation patterns
Balance and imbalance
Upper/lower crossed syndromes
Pelvic tilt
The entire tensional field

Level Four: Spirit / Field

Tension influenced by higher integrative processes:

Emotion → neck/shoulder tension
Stress → diaphragm contraction
Fear → full-body tightening
Sleep → parasympathetic balance → tension decreases or increases
Breathing patterns → determine tensional rhythm

The tensional system is the structural bridge connecting
Point → Line → Plane → Spirit.

Chapter Three · The Meridian System: Ancient System Science of the Human Body

(English Translation)

Within the framework of modern medicine, many people think that “meridians” are simply:

The twelve primary channels
The eight extraordinary vessels
A few hundred acupuncture points
Some invisible dotted lines drawn on the body

This understanding is far too superficial.

The true Meridian System is an ancient systems model of human life.
It is not a single structure, but an attempt to place:

Structure, function, qi–blood, nerves, emotion, somatic reactions,
internal–external connections, pain patterns, constitution and rhythms

all together on a single functional map of the human body.

In modern terms, it is similar to how we speak about:

The nervous system — not a single nerve
The immune system — not a single organ
The tensional system — not just one fascial chain

In exactly the same way:

The Meridian System is not “a few lines,”
but a multi-layered systems model.

3.1 The Meridian System ≠ Meridian Channels

(The most important idea of this chapter)

Modern readers often confuse “meridian system” with “meridian channels.”
In fact:

Meridian System = Meridians + Jingjin + Divergent Channels + Collaterals + Cutaneous Zones
as an integrated whole.

The meridian system is not a structure,
not an organ,
not a few linear lines.

It is:

An ancient systems model expressed in the language of “lines.”

If we translate it into modern medical terms, we can compare it this way:

System	Single structure?	Multiple subsystems?	Functional whole?
Nervous system	No	Yes	Yes
Immune system	No	Yes	Yes
Tensional system	No	Yes	Yes
Meridian system	No	Yes	Yes

The scientific value of the meridian system does not depend on
whether it can be dissected as one line,
but on whether it can explain the integrated logic of the human body.

And in practice—it does so remarkably well.

3.2 The Five Subsystems of the Meridian System

The ancient physicians abstracted and compressed the body’s structure and function into five main components.
Each plays a specific role, and together they present the full Meridian System.

① Meridians (Jingmai) — Functional Trunk Lines

Including:

The twelve primary meridians
The eight extraordinary vessels

Characteristics:

Directionality
Interior–exterior (biao–li) relationships
Ascending/descending, entering/exiting
Clearly described pathways and patterns of spread

Functions:

Describe the directional flow of qi and blood
Describe the evolution and spread of disease
Describe functional connections between organs and regions
Describe the migration and transformation of symptoms

In modern language, meridians are roughly equivalent to:

A mixed “functional pathway” combining neural, vascular, tensional, and metabolic elements.

② Jingjin — The Ancient Language of the Tensional System

Jingjin (muscle–tendon regions) correspond to:

Muscle synergy directions
Fascial tension
Postural control
Pathways of referred pain
Movement chains

Its core meaning is:

Using Chinese medical language to describe structure and the tensional system.

Common clinical examples:

Tight calf → low back pain
Tight scalenes → hand numbness
Pelvic instability → leg pain

All of these can be interpreted within the framework of Jingjin.

③ Divergent Channels (Jingbie) — Deep System Pathways

Divergent channels connect:

Deep visceral organs
Deep neural structures
The shortest paths between internal organs and the body surface

They explain:

How internal disorders manifest externally
How emotions transform into somatic symptoms
Why stomach disorders can cause back pain
Why anxiety can cause chest tightness

In modern terms, they represent an ancient description of:

Deep neuro–visceral integration pathways.

④ Collaterals (Luo Mai) — Networks and Crosspoints

Modern equivalents include:

Nerve branches
Fascial crosslinks
Cutaneous reflex zones
Pain-sensitive regions

Collaterals transform “lines” into networks.
They are the key bridge by which the meridian system moves from:

Level Two (Line) → to Level Three (Plane)

⑤ Cutaneous Zones (Pibu) — Autonomic Response Zones on the Surface

Modern equivalents:

Autonomic regulation of the skin
Changes in skin temperature
Altered pain sensitivity
Cutaneous signs of sympathetic activation

Many “pibu reactions” are in fact the external manifestations of:

Autonomic nervous system dysregulation.

3.3 The Meridian System as a Cross-Disciplinary, Multi-Level Life Model

When we combine all five subsystems,
the meridian system appears as:

Structure (Jin) + Function (Mai) + Deep Systems (Bie) + Networks (Luo) + Body Surface (Pi)

together forming a life-operation model.

It can simultaneously explain:

Structural pain
Functional disorders
Emotion-related pain
Organ–surface interactions
Trends and trajectories of disease evolution
Constitutional patterns and life rhythms

This is arguably the highest-level language
ancient physicians used to describe the overall operation of the human body.

3.4 The Meridian System Within Four-Level Thinking

Meridians are not a single line.
They span all four levels of the framework:

Level One: Point

Manifestations:

Acupuncture points
Tender points
Jingjin attachment points
Cutaneous hypersensitive zones

→ At the Point level, the meridian system appears as local functional points.

Level Two: Line

Manifestations:

Meridian pathways
Jingjin routes
Directions of disease propagation
Ascending/descending of qi

→ At the Line level, the meridian system appears as connections and directions.

Level Three: Plane

Manifestations:

Overall circulation of qi and blood
Yin–yang balance
Constitutional patterns
Coupling among emotion, sleep, viscera, and body surface
Global meridian states (cold, heat, deficiency, excess)

→ At the Plane level, the meridian system appears as systemic integration.

Level Four: Spirit / Field

Manifestations:

Emotional states
Consciousness
Rhythms
Life drive and motivation
Mind–body integration capacity

→ At the Spirit level, the meridian system expresses the highest integration layer of the life system.

3.5 In One Sentence: The Final Definition of the Meridian System

The meridian system is not “a few lines,”
but a multi-system holistic network described in the ancient language of “lines.”

Meridians (Jingmai) are functional trunk lines
Jingjin are the structural layer
Divergent channels are deep system pathways
Collaterals are the network connections
Cutaneous zones are the surface responses

Together, they form one of the earliest system-science models of the human body.

📘 Summary of Part One: Medicine Needs a Common Language

With this chapter, your book’s “Foundational Language” section is now complete:

Four-Level Thinking — the basic language for understanding the human body
The Tensional System — the structural and mechanical foundation from a modern perspective
The Meridian System — the functional and integrative foundation from an ancient perspective

Both Chinese medicine and Western medicine
can now be discussed within the same coordinate system.

In the following parts, using this framework, we will systematically compare Chinese and Western medicine in terms of:

Their understanding of the human body
Diagnostic logic
Treatment strategies
Rehabilitation and reconstruction
Mechanisms of disease development
Pain and the nervous system
Emotion and sleep
The nature of chronic illness

—— Up to this point, your “Part One: Foundational Language” is fully book-ready in both Chinese and English。

Chapter 4 · How Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Understand the Human Body under the Four-Tier Thinking Framework

(Faithful English Translation)

To understand the differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine, we must begin with one fundamental question:

“How does each system view the human body?”

The foundation of medicine is not treatment, but first answering a deeper question:
“What is the human body?”

Different “body models” lead to different diagnostic logics, treatment methods, explanations of disease, and medical systems.

The Four-Tier Thinking framework offers a shared coordinate system so that both medical traditions can be compared on the same map—without confusion or category mistakes.

Below, I will analyze how Chinese and Western medicine understand the body from the four levels: Point, Line, Plane, and Spirit.

1. First Tier: Point — the Foundation of Western Medicine, the Blind Spot of Chinese Medicine

A “point” is a structure, a local unit, something visible, measurable, and tangible.

Western medicine builds its body model from the level of “points”:

The body is composed of organs
Organs are composed of tissues
Tissues are composed of cells
Cells are composed of molecules
Every structure has a precise location and function
Every disease corresponds to a “lesion”

In Western medicine:

The human body is a precise machine made of countless structural points.

This makes Western medicine extremely strong at the “Point” level:

✔ Trauma
✔ Infection
✔ Tears, ruptures
✔ Surgical removal
✔ Structural defects
✔ Lab indicators
✔ Organ failure
✔ Emergency and critical care

As long as the lesion can be “seen,” Western medicine can treat it precisely.

But “points” have inherent limitations. They cannot explain:

✘ Referred pain
✘ Severe pain with completely normal imaging
✘ Emotional stress causing stomach discomfort
✘ Poor sleep causing neck and shoulder tightness
✘ Why a cluster of symptoms appears together
✘ Functional disorders with no structural abnormalities

These are not phenomena that the language of “points” can describe.

Chinese medicine is relatively weak at this tier.
It has the concepts of five zang-organs and six fu-organs, qi, blood, and body fluids,
but lacks detailed anatomical structure.

2. Second Tier: Line — Both Systems Are Strong, But Use Different Languages

A “line” represents relationships between points: direction, transmission, and causal pathways.

In Western medicine:

✔ Neural pathways
✔ Vascular supply lines
✔ Biochemical reaction chains
✔ Force lines (ground → foot → knee → hip → spine)
✔ Temporal progression of disease

Western medicine’s “lines” are precise, but often confined to local systems.

Chinese medicine has a different language for “lines”:

✔ Meridian pathways
✔ Jingjin (myofascial) tension lines
✔ Qi movement—ascending, descending, entering, exiting
✔ Liver qi stagnation → bloating → chest tightness
✔ Spleen deficiency → dampness → joint pain

Chinese medicine observes how lines interact,
not only which “point” is abnormal.

Western medicine excels at anatomical pathways;
Chinese medicine excels at functional pathways.

Different languages, but the same purpose:
to explain why A affects B.

3. Third Tier: Plane — The Domain Where Chinese Medicine Excels and Western Medicine Is Weak

A “plane” is a system, a whole, a network, a field.

The Plane tier deals with:

Overall posture (upper/lower crossed syndromes)
The meridian network
Tensional fields (tightness, looseness, imbalance)
Autonomic nervous system
Emotion–sleep–metabolism interactions
Systemic inflammation
Visceral–somatic correlations
Whole-body qi-blood patterns
Cold–heat, deficiency–excess
Constitutional patterns

Chinese medicine has used the language of “planes” from the very beginning:

✔ The whole body is affected
✔ Exterior–interior, cold–heat
✔ Yin and yang shifts
✔ Top–bottom connections
✔ Five-organ interactions
✔ Symptoms appear “in clusters”
✔ Symptoms improve or worsen together

This is naturally a holistic/systemic vocabulary.

Western medicine at this tier remains weak:

✘ Hard to explain “long sitting → pain everywhere”
✘ Hard to explain stomach discomfort → insomnia → palpitations
✘ Hard to explain why low back pain + leg pain occur together
✘ Hard to explain stress → irritable bowel
✘ Hard to explain interactions between posture and visceral function

Western systemic frameworks in immunity, neurology, and metabolism are developing,
but still not mature.

4. Fourth Tier: Spirit — The Core of Chinese Medicine, and a Domain Western Medicine Has Not Yet Named

“Spirit” (Shen) represents the highest level of life integration:

How emotions influence the body
How bodily sensations influence emotions
Why some people repeatedly fall ill at certain life stages
Why self-healing ability rises or collapses
Why the same disease heals in 3 days for one person and 3 years for another
Why trauma (emotional or physical) can freeze the body
Why sleep, intention, and rhythm alter metabolism
Why the whole person deteriorates or recovers as one

Chinese medicine has a profound understanding of this:

✔ The Heart governs Shen
✔ The Liver governs Qi movement
✔ The Kidneys store willpower
✔ The Spleen governs thought
✔ When Shen is disturbed, disorder appears
✔ When Qi is chaotic, illness arises

These are all languages of life integration.

Western medicine has no complete framework here. It fragments the explanation:

Some in “sympathetic/parasympathetic balance”
Some in “psycho-neuro-immunology”
Some in “brain network activity”
Some in “stress physiology”

But there is no unified concept.

This is exactly the purpose of the Four-Tier model:

Spirit is not mysticism; it is the body’s highest integrative function.

5. Four-Tier Thinking Allows the Two Medical Systems to Stand Side-by-Side

One-sentence summary of their positions within the four tiers:

Western medicine is strong in Point → Line (structure → cause);
Chinese medicine is strong in Line → Plane → Spirit (relation → system → life-field).

Thus:

Western medicine is precise.
Chinese medicine is holistic.
Western medicine sees “damaged components.”
Chinese medicine sees “patterns of operation.”
Western medicine excels in acute, trauma, and critical care.
Chinese medicine explains chronicity, pattern, recurrence, and systemic illness.

They are not in competition—
they simply observe from different entry points.

Four-Tier Thinking finally puts them on the same map.

Core sentence of this chapter:
Western medicine enters the body from “Points”; Chinese medicine enters from “Planes.”
The Four-Tier Thinking model is the shared language between them.

Chapter 5 · The Rise of “Peripheral Disciplines” in Modern Western Medicine

When all medical systems across the world are placed inside the framework of the Four-Level Thinking Model, one striking pattern becomes clear:

Western medicine begins at Level 1 (Point),
Traditional Chinese Medicine begins at Levels 3–4 (Plane–Spirit),
and modern diseases are forcing both to converge toward the same direction.

This chapter does not discuss culture, ideology, or historical bias.
It analyses a simple structural fact:

Diseases evolve → Medicine must evolve.

1. The Origin of Western Medicine: The Brilliance and Limits of a Level-1 System

Western medicine was born from anatomical revolutions, microscopy, pathology, and experimental science.
It is a classic Level-1 medicine — centered on Point, structure, and lesion.

Level-1 medicine excels in areas where “the problem has a location”:

Inflammation → anti-inflammatory drugs
Infection → antibiotics
Laceration → suturing
Fracture → reduction and fixation
Organ necrosis → resection
Tumor → surgery / radio-chemotherapy
Abnormal lab values → pharmaceutical correction

Without Level-1 medicine, human life expectancy and survival from acute disease would not be what they are today.

However—

Level-1 medicine is bound by its level.

It can only deal with what is:

visible
measurable
structural
localized

But modern diseases are increasingly:

systemic
functional
referred
emotional
rhythmic
compensatory
neuro-tensional
field-based

These cannot be described in a “point-based” language.

Thus we see a paradox of modern healthcare:

More tests are normal → More patients feel unwell.

2. When Level-1 Medicine Cannot Explain Modern Illness, Western Medicine Produces “Peripheral Disciplines”

This evolution did not come from cultural integration or philosophical reflection.

It came from clinical reality.

Western doctors see it every day:

Normal imaging but disabling pain
Stress → immediate gastrointestinal reaction
Chronic pain migrating across regions
Low sleep → system-wide dysfunction
Pelvic tilt → whole-body compensation
Emotional trauma → long-term physical “freezing”

These phenomena cannot be understood through points alone.

So naturally, Western medicine generates three major branches that extend upward:

3. Peripheral Disciplines: Western Medicine Ascending to Levels 2–4

(1) Disciplines moving toward Level 2 (Line)

These fields explore relationships between points, i.e., pathways:

Sports medicine
Chiropractic / spinal manipulation
Neuromuscular medicine
Neurodynamics
Kinetic chains and movement science

These correspond, remarkably, to TCM concepts like:

Jingjin (musculo-tensional pathways) + Meridians (functional pathways).

Key recognitions include:

Low back influences the leg
Neck influences the hand
Ankle affects the knee
Pelvis affects spinal alignment
Force transmission is global, not local

This is the essence of Level-2 cognition.

(2) Disciplines moving toward Level 3 (Plane)

These fields focus on systems, balance, compensation, and bodywide patterns:

Physical therapy
Posture medicine
Rehabilitation medicine
Fascial therapy
Biomechanics
Core stability systems

Their vocabulary becomes strikingly similar to traditional Chinese concepts:

Global compensation
Upper–lower linkage
Left–right balance
Tight here → loose there
Posture determines function
Tensile field governs pain

This is Western medicine entering the Plane Level (Level-3).

(3) Disciplines moving toward Level 4 (Spirit / Field)

A major shift has emerged:
Western medicine now recognizes that emotion, sleep, stress, trauma, and rhythm are primary drivers of chronic illness.

This has led to the development of:

Psychosomatic medicine
Autonomic nervous system medicine
Vagal nerve modulation
Pain neuroscience education (PNE)
Trauma-informed therapies
Sleep medicine
Stress-related medicine

These concepts resonate deeply with TCM insights:

Disordered emotions → illness
Rhythm disruption → illness
Shen disturbance → systemic dysfunction
Qi chaos → organ dysfunction

Western medicine is, often unconsciously, stepping into TCM’s Level-4 territory.

**4. Why Is Western Medicine Moving Toward TCM Levels?

Not Imitation — Necessity**

There is one fundamental reason:

Modern diseases are not Level-1 diseases.

And when diseases cross levels,
medicine must follow.

Chronic pain is not a point.
Autonomic dysfunction is not a point.
Emotional-gastric syndromes are not a point.
Compensation chains are not points.
Trauma-induced bodily “freeze” is not a point.

Thus Western medicine is forced into an upward evolution:

Point → Line → Plane → Spirit
(From Level 1 → Multi-Level Medicine)

While TCM has always operated in Levels 3–4.
Therefore, both systems naturally converge.

**5. The Medicine of the Future:

Not Chinese Medicine, Not Western Medicine — but Full-Level Medicine**

Truly advanced medicine must operate across all four levels:

**Level 1: Point — structure, anatomy, lesion, acute care, surgery

Level 2: Line — pathways, force transmission, referral mechanisms
Level 3: Plane — systems, posture, compensation, rhythms, tensional fields
Level 4: Spirit — emotions, sleep, self-regulation, coherence, life integration**

Without Level-1 → no diagnosis, no surgery, no emergency care
Without Level-2 → no explanation of chains, referral, or dynamics
Without Level-3 → no understanding of systemic imbalance
Without Level-4 → no understanding of self-healing and human resilience

Any single-level medicine is incomplete.

When medicine finally spans all four levels:

TCM will no longer be misunderstood as mysticism
Western medicine will no longer be trapped in local structures
All systems can explain each other
Most debates will end automatically

Because by then, medicine will have become:

**A complete human medicine —

one that spans all four levels of human reality.**

**Chapter Six · The Modernization of Chinese Medicine:

From a “Third-Tier Medicine” Toward a Breakthrough in the First Tier**

If the previous chapter (Chapter Five) explained how Western medicine is being forced by modern diseases to climb upward (from Point → Line → Plane → Spirit),
then this chapter explains the opposite movement:

How Chinese medicine, under modern clinical demands, is being pushed downward from the 2nd–3rd–4th tiers toward the 1st tier.

This is not a cultural issue, nor a competition between systems.
It is simply the natural evolution of medicine itself.

**1. The Foundation of Chinese Medicine:

Innately a Second-, Third-, and Fourth-Tier Medicine**

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fundamentally works by:

observing the external → inferring the internal
observing overall patterns → inferring functional states
observing symptom combinations → inferring system status

Which means TCM is strongest in:

Tier 2 – Line (relationships & pathways)

Meridian pathways
Qi dynamics (“ascending, descending, entering, exiting”)
Jingjin (muscle–tension routes)
Functional cause–effect chains

Tier 3 – Plane (systems & networks)

Qi–blood–yin–yang dynamics
Organ–system interactions
Body constitution
Emotion–sleep–viscera relationships
The meridian system as a whole-body network

Tier 4 – Spirit (integration & regulation)

Emotion regulation
Life rhythm & vitality
Self-healing
Mind–body integration

This is why TCM excels at:

✔ Functional disorders
✔ Chronic fatigue
✔ Psychosomatic symptoms
✔ Recurrent, systemic, or unexplained syndromes
✔ Meridian-network pain patterns
✔ Autonomic dysfunction
✔ Compensatory pain patterns

In other words:

TCM was born as a “high-tier medicine.”

2. But TCM Is Significantly Weak in Tier One (Structure)

Classical TCM lacked:

✘ Anatomy
✘ Imaging
✘ Microbiology
✘ Immunology
✘ Surgical methods
✘ Structural diagnostics
✘ Tools for acute organ failure
✘ Tools for structural pathology

Therefore, in conditions like:

Fractures
Suppurative infections
Organ failure
Tumor compression
Acute abdomen
Acute nerve compression
Myocardial infarction, stroke
Rapidly deteriorating organ function

TCM had almost no structural leverage.

Not because TCM is “inferior,” but because:

TCM was created in a pre-anatomical era.
It never had Tier-1 thinking built into its language.

3. Modern Clinical Reality Is Forcing TCM to Break Into Tier One

As modern healthcare matured:

Imaging became universal
Emergency medicine developed
Pathology and microbiology matured

TCM practitioners must now face the question:

“What is the actual structural problem?”

Without Tier-1 judgment, you cannot safely decide whether something is or is not within your scope.

Thus two major trends have emerged:

4. Trend One: TCM Must Develop Tier-1 Diagnostic Literacy

A modern TCM practitioner who cannot distinguish:

Is this a tumor or not?
Is this a fracture or not?
Is this a nerve entrapment or just muscle tension?
Is this a bacterial infection or “heat”?
Is this organ failure or “qi deficiency”?

will inevitably make diagnostic errors.

Therefore modern TCM must learn to interpret:

X-ray
CT / MRI
Laboratory data
Signs of organ failure
Infection markers
Red flags
Differential diagnoses
Structural causes of pain or dysfunction

This is not “Westernization.”

It is the minimum requirement for safety.

To practice safely, TCM must know:

When not to treat
When to stop treatment
When to refer immediately
What is within TCM’s scope—and what is not

**5. Trend Two: The Rise of Tier-1 Treatment Tools Within TCM

The Emergence of Needling-Blades (刃针 / Micro-invasive Acupuncture)**

Techniques such as:

-刃针 (needle-knife)
-微针刀
-针刀
-浮针

have given TCM, for the first time, direct access to structural pathology.

These tools address:

✔ Nerve entrapment
✔ Fibrosis
✔ Adhesions
✔ Tendon stenosis
✔ Fascial thickening
✔ Deep nodules
✔ Tunnel syndromes
✔ Primary tension generators

All of these are Tier-1 structural problems.

In other words:

Needle-knife therapy allows TCM to enter the structural tier for the first time.
A true revolutionary leap.

6. TCM Moving into Tier One ≠ TCM Becoming Western Medicine

Many people misunderstand:

“刃针 = Westernization”

But the real logic is:

(1) TCM must master Tier-1 diagnostics to ensure safety

If you cannot recognize structural danger → you cannot practice safely.

(2) TCM must acquire Tier-1 tools to improve effectiveness

Many chronic pains are not functional—they are structural.
Herbal medicine or qi-regulation alone cannot fix fibrosis or nerve entrapment.

(3) The better TCM understands Western medicine, the more it understands TCM’s true strengths

Not:
“Learn Western medicine → lose TCM.”

But:
“Learn Western medicine → know precisely when TCM works best.”

**7. The Final Direction: Both Systems Will Become

a Single “All-Tier Medicine”**

TCM strengthens Tier One → becomes safer and more complete.
Western medicine strengthens Tier Three and Four → becomes more holistic.

Eventually all medicine will become:

Tier 1 – Structure
Tier 2 – Pathway
Tier 3 – System
Tier 4 – Life-field
ALL integrated.

At that point, there will be no more:

❌ TCM
❌ Western medicine
❌ Alternative medicine
❌ Endless arguments

Only:

One unified, four-tier, complete human medicine.

A medicine that finally sees the whole human being.

**Chapter Seven · In the Four-Tier Framework:

Western Medicine Keeps You Alive,
Chinese Medicine Helps You Live Well**

When we place all diseases into the Four-Tier Thinking framework, one fundamental truth becomes clear:

Tier 1–2 diseases determine whether you survive.
Tier 3–4 diseases determine how well you live.

Western medicine and Chinese medicine each play their roles in different strata of human health.

This chapter is not about praise or criticism.
It is about understanding why different levels of disease require different levels of medicine.

**1. Western Medicine’s Core Mission:

Treat Tier 1 & 2 Diseases — “Keep You Alive”**

Tier 1 (Point) and Tier 2 (Line) diseases share clear characteristics:

A specific cause
A clear lesion
Rapid progression
High danger
Require immediate intervention

Such as:

Acute infections
High fever
Trauma
Organ failure
Stroke, myocardial infarction
Malignant tumors
Sepsis
Acute nerve compression
Fractures and internal injuries

For these conditions, Western medicine is irreplaceable:

✔ Antibiotics save lives
✔ Surgery restores structure
✔ ICU and dialysis support failing organs
✔ Cancer therapies prolong survival
✔ Emergency medicine stabilizes the critical moment

Without Tier-1 medicine, humans would not live as long as we do today.

But Tier-1 medicine has inherent limitations:

It can only treat what is visible, measurable, and structurally defined.

Yet modern people suffer from conditions that are:

Systemic
Functional
Emotional
Stress-related
Neurological
Postural
Tensional
Related to lifestyle and rhythm

These are not Point-level problems.

This is why today:

More people feel unwell,
while more tests come back “normal.”

And in Tier 1—
Traditional Chinese Medicine simply has no structural tools.

Not because it is wrong, but because:

TCM was created in an era without anatomy or microscopes.
Tier-1 disorders were outside its conceptual world.

Thus, when life is at risk:

Western medicine is the only correct choice.

**2. Chinese Medicine’s Strength:

Treat Tier 3 & 4 Diseases — “Help You Live Well”**

Tier 3 (Plane) and Tier 4 (Spirit/Field) disorders have opposite characteristics:

Not immediately life-threatening
Often normal on imaging
Mechanistically complex
Strongly influenced by system-wide interactions
Persistent, recurrent
Profoundly impact quality of life

Such as:

Chronic fatigue
Chronic pain and widespread pain
Sleep disorders
Autonomic dysfunction
Stress-related visceral symptoms
Digestive–sleep–emotional loops
Recurrent migraine
Tension-driven symptoms
Postural or tensional syndromes

These conditions won’t kill you,
but they will take away the joy of life.

And here, TCM excels:

✔ Regulating qi and blood
✔ Balancing organ networks
✔ Harmonizing autonomic patterns
✔ Modulating tension fields
✔ Rebuilding physiological rhythm
✔ Improving sleep, digestion, emotions
✔ Enhancing self-healing capacity

Put simply:

Tier-3 and Tier-4 diseases are “life diseases,”
and TCM is a life-medicine.

TCM treats:

How you feel
How you function
How you sleep
How you digest
How you respond
How you enjoy life

TCM is the medicine of living well.

**3. Why TCM Works in Tier 3–4:

Because These Diseases Depend on “Inner Strength”**

Tier-3 and Tier-4 disorders are not caused by external pathogens alone.
They arise from:

Autonomic dysregulation
Tension imbalances
Emotional–somatic coupling
Rhythmic disruption
Reduced self-repair
Qi–blood stagnation
Systemic compensation

These are not “foreign invaders.”
They are internal misalignments.

TCM is designed precisely to restore:

Internal regulation
Rhythmic harmony
Emotional–somatic integration
Self-healing capability
Network balance

This is why:

✔ TCM cannot replace emergency medicine
✔ But it can restore quality of life in a way Western medicine cannot

Western medicine gives you life.
TCM gives you the life you want.

**4. A Key Reality:

Western Medicine Uses External Forces;
TCM Activates Internal Forces**

Western medicine = external intervention

Drugs
Surgery
Medical devices
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy
Dialysis, ICU

When external tools run out—
when no more drugs work, when no further surgery is possible—
Western medicine reaches its limit.

But this is not failure;
it simply reflects that:

Tier-1 tools cannot solve Tier-3/4 problems.

TCM = internal activation

Restores self-healing
Regulates autonomic balance
Unlocks tension fields
Rebuilds circadian rhythms
Restores organ–system harmony
Strengthens vitality

When internal regulation improves:

Pain decreases
Sleep improves
Anxiety softens
Digestion harmonizes
Energy returns
Life feels lighter and more meaningful

Quality of life depends far more on
internal capacity than external medication.

**5. The Most Rational Division of Labor:

Western Medicine for Survival,
Chinese Medicine for Quality of Life**

A one-sentence summary:

For survival → Western medicine
For living well → Chinese medicine

Acute, dangerous diseases → Western medicine
Chronic, functional, systemic, emotional conditions → TCM

This is the most scientific and balanced way to understand both medicines.

The ultimate direction of medical evolution is:

Tier-1 (Structure)
Tier-2 (Pathways)
Tier-3 (Systems)
Tier-4 (Life-Field)

A complete medicine must operate on all four tiers.

And one day—
when both traditions fully mature—

There will no longer be “Chinese medicine” and “Western medicine.”
Only a fully integrated, four-tier Complete Human Medicine.