Dream emission

Spontaneous discharge of semen associated with dreaming. Dream emission arises when sexually stimulating sights and thoughts cause frenetic stirring of the ministerial fire or when excessive mental activity causes exuberant heart fire. As a general rule, the principle of when there is dreaming, treat the heart; when there is no dreaming, treat the kidney applies, although dream emission may be attributed to heart-spleen vacuity or heart-kidney vacuity. Damp-heat is a further possible factor.

Medicinal therapy: Treat by clearing the heart and quieting the spirit, using formulas such as Heart-Clearing Lotus Seed Beverage (清心莲子饮 qīng xīn lián zǐ yǐn), Mysterious Fragrance Powder (妙香散 miào xiāng sǎn), or Mind-Stabilizing Pill (定志丸 dìng zhì wán). For persistent conditions in which disease of the heart affects the kidney and causes noninteraction of the heart and kidney, combine the method of nourishing yīn and clearing the heart with that of boosting the kidney and securing essence, using formulas such as Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Eight-Ingredient Pill (知柏八味丸 zhī bǎi bā wèi wán), Great Creation Pill (大造丸 dà zào wán), or Golden Lock Essence-Securing Pill (金锁固精丸 jīn suǒ gù jīng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: To clear the heart and quiet the spirit, base treatment mainly on HT and the three yīn channels of the foot. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), GB-44 (Foot Orifice Yīn, 足窍阴 zú qiào yīn), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo); needle with drainage. For exuberant heart fire, add PC-8 (Palace of Toil, 劳宫 láo gōng) and HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ). For heart disease affecting the kidney, base treatment mainly on back transporting points and the three yīn channels of the foot. Drain BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), PC-7 (Great Mound, 大陵 dà líng), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng); supplement BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), BL-52 (Will Chamber, 志室 zhì shì), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo). Drain the heart and supplement the kidney by needling.

Point selection according to signs: For pronounced yīn vacuity, add KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), needling with supplementation. For profuse dreaming, add GB-44 (Foot Orifice Yīn, 足窍阴 zú qiào yīn) and ST-45 (Severe Mouth, 厉兑 lì duì).

See seminal emission; damp-heat seminal emission.