On friday, I went to see an acupuncturist in Fremont for a smoking cessation treatment. The treatment started off basically like your standard acupuncture consultation: fille out forms, answer questions, and then get an initial diagnosis.
Howevever, this time, I was told to into a room where the acupuncturist had a laptop. Attached to the laptop was a device that had 2 leads: one going to a blunt metal tube about the size of a cow pellet, and another leading to a pokey needle looking thing.
The doc then proceeded to have me hold th metal tube in one hand and then prod me in the other hand with the pokey stick. As she did this, various readouts and numbers came up on the screen highlighting areas of qi flow in a digital body.
I wasn't able to find the Digi Meridian model that she was specifically using, but apparently there are several similar products out there.
I felt at one very curious, somewhat old-fasioned enthralled by the novelty, and kind of suspect of snake oil.
The device reported flare ups in my intestinal channels predominantly. According to the acupuncturist, the device was very sensitive to the conditions that were occuring at that moment. Hence, while I don't (think I)have any particular issues with my intenstinal channels, it may have been that it was off due to the fact that I had not eaten anything substantial and was very hungry.
After a little more skeptisim, she proceeded to manually feel my meridians and tell me a list of symptoms I was having which I did not inform her of. Pretty good detective work.
End analysis: I have blocks in my liver and heart channels (both of which is true).
While much of my life is rooted in some form or another of a shamanic tradition, the boundaries between technology and the various grades of qi/prana is interesting. I think most of the approaches in the newage/psi circles however: kirlian photography, infrared/uv readings, muscular electroresistance, etc. I'd be interested in the principles, and whether anyone has had any luck with qi measuring devices.
Posted by Da Mystik Homeboy at November 24, 2003 01:12 AM