The Energies of Life
The human
body and all its faculties, organs and systems function on energy, which is
distilled, generated and supplied by the organism itself. Without energy
to animate it, there is probably no life.
There are two basic types of energy in the human organism namely; kinetic and Thermal
Energy. Kinetic energy is responsible for all function and
movement of the organism (body), whereas Thermal energy is
responsible for all digestion, metabolism and transformation in the human
system. Life requires both kinetic and thermal energy. <a
href=’http://www.benaija.blogspot.com’>Benaija</a> calls kinetic
energy Pneuma, or the Breath of Life. Pneuma as we may know it is
similar to what Chinese Medicine calls Qi and to what Yoga and Ayurveda
call Prana. On the other hand, <a
href=’http://www.benaija.blogspot.com’>Benaija</a> calls thermal
energy Ignis, which is the Latin for Fire. Ignis also is very similar to what Chinese Medicine calls
Yang or Hauo and also to what Yoga and Ayurveda call Agni.
As they are subsequently generated and flows and are also
distributed throughout the various faculties and systems of the organism, both Pneuma
and Ignis assume various forms. The essence of these vital
energies remains the same, but the functions they are adapted to perform and
apply changes.
All the major bodily functions have both a kinetic and
a thermal aspect. Now let’s consider Digestion as an example, Its
kinetic aspect is the churning and peristalsis of the stomach and intestines,
whereas its thermal aspect is the distillation, generation and metabolism of
the humors.
The Three Forms of Pneuma
Pneuma, or the Breath of Life, is
initially extracted from the air we breathe by the lungs, which then
send this raw pneuma to the heart. There, it is combusted and
infused into the blood, assuming a very potent and concentrated
form. This is the Pneuma zoticon, or Vital Force, which is
the basic, primary form of pneuma in the organism. This Vital
force is the pneuma of the Vital Faculty, where its main
functions are to power the circulation of blood and cellular metabolism.
This Pneuma zoticon is then changed into other forms of pneuma by the
principal organs of the other faculties.
In the liver, the Vital Force is changed into Pneuma
physicon, or the Natural Force, which is the basic form of pneuma
for the Natural Faculty. When the liver infuses this Natural Force
into the Four Humors upon their generation, this Natural Force is then
differentiated into four different subforms, called the Four Administering
Virtues, which animate the humors and give them their respective functions
and actions: Blood, or the Sanguine
humor, is infused with the Attractive Virtue, or force. Yellow
Bile, or the Choleric humor, is infused with the Digestive
Virtue, or force. Black Bile, or the Melancholic humor, is
infused with the Retentive Virtue, or force.
Phlegm, or the Phlegmatic humor, is infused with the Expulsive
Virtue, or force.
In the brain, the Vital Force is changed into the Pneuma psychicon, or
Psychic Force, which is the basic form of pneuma for the Psychic
Faculty. You could also call it Nerve Force. Being closest to
the psyche, or indwelling soul in its nature, the Psychic Force also has
the attributes of intelligence, awareness, and consciousness.
The Psychic Force is responsible for all sensation and perception, thought and
cognition, and movement and response to stimuli.
In the Generative Faculty, the basic, primal
form of pneuma, the Vital Force, is used to spark and germinate a new
life.
The doctrine of the three forms of pneuma was first
developed by Galen as an adjunct to his doctrine of the Four Faculties.
In Hippocrates' day, there was just a general doctrine of pneuma, as the Life
Force.
The Three Forms of Ignis
Ignis is responsible for all digestion,
metabolism and transformation in the organism - in other words, pepsis.
Like pneuma, ignis also has three basic forms in the organism.
Since Air is necessary to combust Fire, ignis is the product of pneuma.
Ignis is first combusted in the heart, along
with the Vital Force. There, it assumes its basic, primary form in the
organism: the Ignis zoticon, or Innate Heat. This is the
basic body heat emitted by all the organs and tissues of the body due to cellular
metabolism.
The Innate Heat, along with the Vital Force,
is carried by the blood to all the organs and tissues of the body to
power cellular metabolism. From there, throughout the organism, these two
twin forces, ignis and pneuma, are never far apart.
In the liver, the Innate Heat is converted into
the Metabolic Heat, or Ignis physicon, which powers all pepsis
in the Natural Faculty. Along-side with the Natural Force, the
Metabolic Heat generates the Four Humors. The Metabolic heat cooks or
concocts the humors in a process of pepsis, whereas the Natural Force gives the
humors their functions and actions.
Some say that there is another Fire in the stomach and
duodenum called the Digestive Fire, or Ignis gastricon, which
cooks or concocts the raw food juices into chyle. Then, the chyle
is sent to the liver to be processed into the Four Humors. But others
attribute the digestive power of these organs to the caustic, Choleric
secretions they produce.
In the brain, the Innate Heat is converted into
the Psychic Heat, or Ignis psychicon, which powers all psychic
pepsis, or the digestion, assimilation and processing of thoughts, ideas
and experiences. The Psychic Faculty is the coldest in temperament
of all the faculties, so the Psychic Heat is more subtle and latent than
blatant or obvious. Nevertheless, the Psychic Heat, being a Fire
principle, is highly developed in those of a fiery Choleric temperament, who
have a penetrating insight and a great ability to distill the essential meaning
and significance of various thoughts, ideas and experiences.
In the Generative Faculty, the basic, primal
form of ignis, the Innate Heat, is used as the catalyst to spark
a new life.
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