Conceptualizations of Qigong in Chinese and English Research Literature: The Overlooked Cultural Knowledge of "State of Unity" and "Heart".

Conceptualizations of Qigong in Chinese and English Research Literature: The Overlooked Cultural Knowledge of "State of Unity" and "Heart". Adv Mind Body Med. 2018 Spring;32(2):21-29 Authors: Li J, Jouper J Abstract Qigong belongs to the tradition of self-healing and traditional Chinese ethnic sport. In a scientific context, how Qigong is conceptualized influences the quality and comparability of research. Unfortunately, the concept of Qigong is vague. The aim of this paper is to explore the conception of Qigong by comparing the similarities and differences in the notions of Qigong published in Chinese and English literature. A case-based comparative method is used to analyze Chinese and English notions of Qigong. These 2 cases are compared using a conceptual frame of reference. The results show that the conceptual structure of the 2 cases is similar. The most essential cultural knowledge "state of unity," as the unique mechanism of healing and the aim of Qigong, is overlooked in the Chinese and English notions. In addition, the Chinese cultural knowledge "Heart" is translated into the English word mind. Vagueness about the aim of Qigong ("state of unity") and the cultural trait of the "Heart" (vs "mind" in English) hinders the quality and comparability of research. Researchers should, therefore, be more precise about these essential cultural aspects of knowledge when the concept of Qigong is defined and its effectiveness studied. ...
Source: Advances in Mind Body Medicine - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Adv Mind Body Med Source Type: research