Gu Syndrome
This is a compilation of articles and information on gu syndrome, a category of disease that includes HIV/Aids, Long Covid, Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fungal Infections, Parasitism, Malaria, Yeast and more. Largely unacknowledged in the west or the symptoms/diseases broken up into unconnected categories such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.
update oct 2024:
Gu Syndrome Archives | (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
part 1 1998 article
Driving Out Demons and Snakes: Gu Syndrome, A Forgotten Clinical Approach to Chronic Parasitism (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
part 2 2008 article
Gu Syndrome: An In-depth Interview with Heiner Fruehauf (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
part 3 2011 article focuses more on lyme disease
2012 Thunder Pearls article
(apologies if the OCR and pdf compression process has mangled some of the text, should be 98% good though)
2014 interview
An Ancient Solution for Modern Diseases: "Gu Syndrome" and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases with Autoimmune Complications (An Interview with Heiner Fruehauf) (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
2015 interview (3 parts)
Voice from the Mountaintop: Heiner Fruehauf on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Lyme Disease (3 Parts) (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
2020 interview
Gu Syndrome with Dr. Heiner Fruehauf, PhD, LAc (Episode #116) (classicalchinesemedicine.org)
dietary suggestions
from article 1 above:
Appendix 3: Dietary Instructions for Gu Syndrome
Source: Zhigu Xinfang (New Approaches to Gu Therapy), 1823.
Avoid (during or after the Gu treatment): chicken, duck, fish, shrimp, snails, gecko, snakes, insects of all kinds.
Also, food items that “easily breed worms” should be avoided, especially all forms of sugar, honey, jujube dates and other sweet substances.
Consume in increased amounts: tofu, celery, cabbage, spinach, lotus root, shiso (perilla) leaves, peppermint, garlic, horseradish, ginger, bitter melon, black mu’er fungus, lychee, longan, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, plums, pomegranates, watermelon, vinegar, green tea, lamb and pork. However, if any of these items should aggravate the condition, it should also be avoided.
also suggested to avoid: dairy, cheese, ice cream, etc. (all cold-damp phlegm producing) Butter may be fine. some people say no sugars/starches at all but that is likely too extreme of a stance. Complex carbohydrates like yams, taro root, cassava, etc may be the best choice here. These carbohydrates digest and release sugars more slowly and create butyrate in the intestine. Gut renewal is a large factor in healing from gu syndrome.
13 ghost points
the following is a longer, in-process study on the ghost points. I will also be adding many things, such as photos, videos, etc, including how to locate points with your fingers. Following that, I will do a similar project on the ear points. Having a working personal knowledge of some of the easier to stimulate ghost points combine with ear points is a great benefit for all people.
Disclaimer: there’s absolutely no guarantee that anything here will help you or produce phenomena that you want. This information is for people who are adventurous, experimental or on their own.
from heiner’s article 1 above, with additional images and explanations from me and the internet:
Instructions for Gu Syndrome
Source: Qugu Ranxi Lu (Master Ranxi’s Treatise on Expelling Gu Toxins), 1893.
apply vigorous garlic moxibustion to Gaohuangshu BL-43
apply moxibustion to Feishu BL-13, Zusanli ST-36 and Guikuxie (Demon Wailing Point)†.
also highly recommended is frequent acupressure with menthol preparations, especially on the ‘Thirteen Demon (or Ghost) Points’ (shisan guixie); it is also possible to selectively needle the Thirteen Demon Points:
Guigong (Demon Palace): Renzhong DU-26
Guixin (Demon Evidence) Shaoshang LU-11 Lung 11
Guilei (Demon Pile) Yinbai SP-1 Spleen 1
Guixin (Demon Centre) Daling P-7/PC-7 Pericardium 7
Guilu (Demon Path) Shenmai BL-62 Bladder 62
Guizhen (Demon Pillow) Fengfu DU-16
Guichuang (Demon Bed) Jiache ST-6 Stomach 6
Guishi (Demon Market) Chengqiang REN-24
Guiku (Demon Hole) Laogong P-8/PC-8 Pericardium 8
Guitang (Demon Hall) Shangxing DU-23
Guicang (Demon Hideout) Huiyin REN-1 in males; extra point Yumen (head of the clitoris) in females
Guitui (Demon Leg) Quchi LI-11 Large Intestine 11
Guifeng (Demon Envelope) extra point Haiquan (under tongue) substitute YIN TANG
†This point is not listed in modern Chinese texts. It first appeared in Sun Simiao’s Thousand Ducat Formulas in the chapter on epilepsy along with the 13 Ghost or Demon points, and was ascribed the name Guikuxie (Demon Wailing Point) in the 16th century primer Entering Medicine. Descriptions of its location are not exact. It is said that the thumbs should be tied together so that the nails face each other and that the point is found at the crease between the nails “half on the nail and half on the flesh”. One opinion is that it is located at the mid level of the thumb nails just distal to Shaoshang LU-11. Another is that it corresponds to Shaoshang LU-11 when this point is used for mental disturbance and treated by moxibustion with the thumbs facing each other so one cone treats both thumbs. One source says of this point “If moxibusted, the demon will come forth wailing, revealing its name”.
various recommendations:
traditionally, the points were done in sequence throughout an entire day/night of full ritual with music, chanting, etc. For those who are doing it more gradually, the points were broken up in this sequence of groupings: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-13. A practitioner wouldn’t move to points 4-6 until 1-3 were truly understood and integrated in the patient. And so on.
some suggest a max of 1-3 ghost points at a time, per this method.
acupressure is not as “intense” as acupuncture. so, you have to work at it, take notes and figure it out. plus, we are talking about gu here. many people cannot afford acupuncture or don’t know how to needle themselves.
in the above list, some of these points will be easier to stimulate than others. also, some of these points will respond well to a mentholated massage oil or liniment, some won’t.
with acupuncture, needles are usually in for 30-40 minutes. one “hack” to do this with acupressure is to take some uncooked beans and tape them to the point with athletic tape. it’s good to pair this longer duration process with meditation, humming, mantra and/or inner awareness.
so, for example a person may take the first three points and work them on themself over the course of an entire week, stimulating the points with manual massage 1-3 times a day for perhaps 3 minutes each, taking note of how one feels during and after, and as the week goes on.
the poetic names of the points are also clues to their function and meaning in the body. I will add a section about the names and meanings below in a separate section at a later date.
3 extra points to combine with 1-3 ghost points: buddha’s triangle
how to locate points
finding points - it’s a feeling. points may be at odd directions under the surface of the skin, or between sinews. my experience is you know it when you feel it.
acupressure techniques
once you find a point, press down on it with your thumb. You can move your thumb in a circle while applying pressure. You can move it in clockwise (to the right) or counterclockwise (to the left) circles. Do this for 2 to 3 minutes.
Some people may find it hard to use their thumb. You can use your index finger or any other finger instead. Each finger may have a slightly different energetic body state feeling. Play around.
Be firm when applying pressure, but do not press so hard that it hurts. You may feel some aching or tenderness, but it should not be painful. If you feel any pain, you’re pressing down too hard. This is different for everyone, and different at different times. Some people recommend holding the point until you feel the pulse normalize or stabilize underneath your finger. Sometimes a very light touch is what’s needed, other times, very strong.
Another popular variation is to lightly place your finger on the point and intend to send energy from the finger down into the point. The energy moves in waves or oscillations, pulsing qi or light to break up stagnation. The energy comes from Earth/Sky/Heaven/Dao, not the practitioner.
Another method is knocking, tapping, drumming or slapping the point or around the point to bring fresh blood to the surface layers of the skin and increase circulation. I am a fan of these kinds of vibrational techniques.
all of this can seem like a lot. the main distillation is that because you are both practitioner and patient, you will be able to sense things from both ends using an exploratory manner. a good rule of thumb is that if the point feels tender, then rubbing it in a circular fashion should produce some relief, pleasure, or positive effect.
*Using mentholated lotion (like tiger balm) - make sure to have alcohol wipes and don’t get it in your eyes or cuts
Thanks to all my friends, colleagues and practitioners around the world and throughout history who seek to help humans to become vibrant and healthy so as to unravel their fate.
other ideas about ghost points (confusion ahead, read with caution!)
the information out there on 13 ghost points and their use is varied and complex. there are multiple versions of the ghost points. so all the information is in some ways experimental.
youtube playlist (to be linked) https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH9iC_l6heUtNQ0n55-dA5Xf1ZnnXelsI&si=zyp6JDwQxQnFXd8H
Version 2
Trinity 1:
GV 20 (Baihui)
PC 7 (Lieque)
HT 7 (Shenmen)
Trinity 2:
GB 14 (Yangming)
LIV 3 (Taichong)
TE 5 (Waiguan)
Trinity 3:
GB 20 (Fengchi)
SP 6 (Sanyinjiao)
DU 16 (Fengfu)
Trinity 4:
GB 21 (Jianjing)
GB 24 (Si Shencong)
LR 3 (Taichong)
Extra point:
GV 26 (Guanyuan)
Version 3
The Song of the 13 Ghost Points protocol is a specific order of needling and techniques used. These points are not all needled in one session and in each session a different set of 3 points may be needled.
FIRST TRINITY – these points are the beginning of the path of psychological dysfunction. There is a build up of phlegm (gui) blocking the orifices of the heart leading to the wandering of the shen (mind). These points expel wind and heat.
DU 26 (Ghost Palace) – Associated with inheritance, ancestral genetics. There may be inappropriate spontaneous laughter or crying. Irritability is prevalent as is epilepsy and fatigue.
LU 11 (Ghost Faith) – Represents worldly affairs and undertakings. Treats epilepsy and sore throat and clears heat in the channel.
SP 1 (Eye of the Ghost) – Represents one’s own body. Feelings of disorientation in the world in and one’s body. Used also for epilepsy and resuscitation.
SECOND TRINITY – Wind has caused either excess movement or paralysis. Attitudes become inflexible. The person has no direction in life.
PC 7 (Ghost Heart) – Material desires. Frequent laughing or crying. Irritable. Craves material objects – a shign of the ghost trying to get to the heart.
UB 62 (Ghost Path) – How a person deals with the world. The person is now believing and walking the path witht he ghost. Epilepsy, paralysis and headaches.
DU 16 (Ghost Pillow) – Also called Warehouse of Change. Represents flexibility and the ability to adapt to change. The ghost has gained access to the brain. The person now sleeps with the ghost. Rigid tongue, lock jaw, loss of voice, headache.
THIRD TRINITY – Alcoholics and addicts. They are stuck here using the alcohol and drugs to get the fire going.
ST 7 (Ghost Bed) – Looking at suffering but not ignoring it. Fully possessed by the ghost the person assists with true empathy. Lock jaw and neurological conditions.
REN 24 (Ghost Market) – Appreciating one’s own resources. The ghost is absorbing the yin here. Negative outlook consuming the yin. The body gets weak, thin and deteriorates. Nosebleeds are the body trying to get the ghost out.
PC 8 (Ghost Cave) – Acknowledging the true person. The person no longer knows who they are. The ghost makes the person self destructive. Paranoia, fever, sweats. Heat in the nutriative blood.
FOURTH TRINITY – The ghost has fully taken over and the patient’s health demises.
DU 23 (Ghost Hall) – The ghost has taken over. Phlegm is blocking the pathways and the pituitary gland. Nasal congestion, poor vision, dizziness, alzheimers
REN 1 (Ghost Hidden or Ghost Store) – Embracing the self. The ghost has consumed the yin. Urinary and bowel leakages or obstructions, menstrual issues, prolapses
LI 11 (Ghost Official) – Responsibility for self. Outlook and emotions, fever, vomit, coma.
THE 13th POINT
Gui Feng (Ghost Seal) – This point is located under the tongue at the center of the lingual frenulum. It assists with enlightenment. Also used for schizophrenia. It is not needed but rather pricked and bled
Sometimes Yin Tang (Hall of Impression), not a ghost point, located between the eyes in the area of the third eye is also used for assisting with enlightenment and schizophrenia. I am guessing this point is used instead of Gui Feng for it’s accessibility and ease.
Ancient Ghosts and Ghost Points - Mend Acupuncture