Narrative and the Evolution of Qi

摘要

This offering forms part of a larger group of contributions on qualitative or naturalistic inquiry into Chinese medicine ideas and practice. In Chinese medicine, the clinical encounter may be understood as an occasion when matters of the mind and body are articulated and understood as patterns of qi. What is remarkable is how an encounter may be read as an engagement with universal myths, metaphors and symbols situated within a body of medical knowledge called Chinese medicine. Amplifying the patient's narrative, it is argued, enriches our understanding how qi manifests in the body, offering an insight into states of being. In this paper the idea of the case study, typically used as a way of exploring Chinese medicine ideas, is broadened in scope suggesting that practitioners go beyond the usual inclusion of signs and symptoms and incorporate the narration of everyday life experience as a way of enriching our understanding of Chinese medicine ideas.