Acupuncture Emotional System

The Acupuncture Emotional System (AES) is the name Dr. Diamond gave to his system delineating the relationship between the emotions and the acupuncture meridians. Developed over a period of 45 years, the AES builds on the pioneering work of his close friend and colleague Dr. George Goodheart (1918-2008), the great chiropractor and developer of the field of Applied Kinesiology, who in the 1960s discovered the relationship between the meridians, the organs, and the major muscles of the body.

In the AES, each of the twelve acupuncture meridians is associated with precisely defined emotional states. For instance the liver meridian is correlated with the emotion of happiness. So if the Life Energy is diminished in that meridian for whatever reason, a person will feel unhappy. Linking the emotions and the meridians in this way, which Dr. Diamond first did in the 1970s and which was the basis of his influential best-selling book Life Energy: Using the Meridians to Unlock the Hidden Power of the Emotions, marks a milestone in the history of medicine. And as each of the meridians are associated with particular organs and the muscles, Dr. Diamond’s discovery of the relationship between the emotions and the meridians demonstrates crucial connections between physical and emotional health, and is thus the basis for a truly holistic approach towards medicine.

Dr. Diamond continued to refine the AES over a period of more than thirty years. Having delineated the major emotional states associated with each meridian, Dr. Diamond had since sub-categorized the emotions in relationship to specific points on the particular meridian. He discovered over two hundred of these. The sub-categories of the emotions for each meridian are clear and distinct, and have differing psychological origins. Knowing exactly the negative emotion and its origin – both in the past, and its resurgence in the present – opens up many avenues of therapy: from the psychological to the physical. Overall, the AES amounts to an entirely new and in-depth understanding of psychosomatic medicine that offers unprecedented possibilities for holistic treatment and the realization of total health.

For further material on the subject of acupuncture and the meridians, please click here.