Wu Yi Tong Yuan (巫醫同源): Shaman and Doctor from the Same Source

Wu Yi Tong Yuan: This profound saying captures a fundamental truth about the origins of Chinese medicine.

The Etymology and Pictographic Evidence

The ancient Chinese character for "medicine" (yi 醫) originally contained the radical for "shaman" (wu 巫) alongside radicals for weapons and arrows, but during the Warring States Period, the shaman component was replaced by the radical for herbal decoction—a shift that literally encoded the historical transition from shamanic healing to herbalism within the written language itself.

The character wu 巫 evolved from oracle bone and bronze script forms depicting dancing shamans, eventually becoming a simplified character showing two human figures in ritual posture. This pictographic origin reveals the wu's role as intermediary between worlds, someone who moves between ordinary and non-ordinary reality through ecstatic practice.

The Meaning of "Shaman"

The word "shaman" itself offers insight into this connection. The term originates from the Tungusic Evenki language of North Asia, where "saman" possibly derives from the root "sa-" meaning "to know," though some scholars connect it to Sanskrit "śramaṇa" (wandering ascetic). Another interpretation translates "saman" as "one who is excited, moved, raised," referring to the ecstatic shaking of the shaman's body during trance, or as "to heat oneself," signifying the fever-like state of inspired consciousness.

This etymology parallels the Chinese wu, whose character first appeared in Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions (ca. 1600-1046 BCE) and could designate shamans of either gender, though later became specifically associated with female practitioners.

Historical Context in Chinese Medicine

During the Shang dynasty, wu shamans possessed supernatural capabilities documented in medical texts, performing psychodramas, making sacrifices, and acting as mediators between the populace and spirits, with Chinese medicine and acupuncture originating from these early shamanic exorcist practices.

The intimate connection between shamanism and acupuncture is reflected in numerous Nei Jing passages describing how the acupuncturist's skill depends on their Shen (spirit), involving intuition, sensitivity, and subjective factors that cannot easily be reproduced—giving acupuncture a "shamanistic quality" distinct from herbal medicine.

However, this shamanic heritage faced suppression: During the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), southern shamanic healing practices were labeled "barbaric," their deities called "demons," and officials even forced shamans to change occupations and practice acupuncture instead, destroying their shrines. This represents a historical tension between rationalized, systematized medicine and its ecstatic, intuitive roots.

Related Chinese Medical Philosophy

The concept of Wu Yi Tong Yuan resonates with another foundational Chinese medical principle: Yao Shi Tong Yuan (藥食同源) — "food and medicine have the same source." This saying recognizes that healing substances and nourishing foods share common origins, with the five flavors (wu wei) operating as both culinary experiences and patterns of qi movement that animate the body.

The legendary cook Yi Yin of the early Shang dynasty (1649-1550 BCE) reportedly cooked food to cure diseases and is considered the inventor of medicinal soup (tang), demonstrating this ancient integration of cooking and healing.

The Parallel Between Shaman and Chinese Medicine Practitioner

Both the Tungusic shaman and the Chinese wu/yi share essential characteristics:

1. Mediation between worlds: The wu served as a bridge between natural and spiritual realms, mediating with the powers that generate things

2. Healing through altered states: Both traditions recognize that effective healing requires the practitioner to enter non-ordinary consciousness where deeper perception becomes possible

3. Diagnosis through spiritual perception: Ancient Chinese medical doctors commonly possessed supernatural capabilities for diagnosis and healing, all documented in medical texts

4. Community service: Shamans served as "social functionaries who, with the help of guardian spirits, attain ecstasy to create rapport with the supernatural world on behalf of their group members"—a role mirrored in the Chinese physician's responsibility to their community

5. Embodied knowledge: Both traditions emphasize that healing wisdom comes through direct experience, relationship with spirits/natural forces, and cultivation of one's own vital essence (Shen, qi) rather than purely intellectual study

Contemporary Relevance

Wu Yi Tong Yuan reminds modern practitioners that effective medicine requires more than technical knowledge—it demands presence, intuition, and the capacity to perceive the subtle energetic patterns that animate life. The practitioner must cultivate their own Shen to truly "see" and "know" the patient's condition, operating from a state of heightened awareness that transcends mechanical application of techniques.

This understanding challenges the Western biomedical tendency to completely separate rational medical practice from spiritual, intuitive, or ecstatic dimensions of healing. The saying invites us to honor Chinese medicine's shamanic roots while recognizing how these traditions evolved into more systematized forms without entirely losing their essential character as practices that work with invisible forces, require cultivated perception, and treat the whole person within their cosmic context.