The organs in our body are closely interconnected. In particular, the mind and the digestive system share an inseparable relationship. Donguibogam describes this phenomenon with great delicacy: 'When excessive rumination harms the heart and spleen (思慮太過則心脾受傷), qi stagnation and dysphoria occur (氣鬱不舒), conveyance and transformation lose control (傳化失司), eventually leading to diarrhea (遂成泄瀉).'\n\nThis might sound a bit difficult, but don't worry. I will explain it easily for you. Here, 'excessive rumination' refers to overthinking, accompanied by excessive worry or anxiety. This reflects the familiar daily pattern of modern people feeling anxious before important events. Donguibogam explains that when thoughts become excessive, both the heart and the spleen suffer harm.\n\nThe heart is not merely the physical pump; it is the core organ governing mental activities and emotions. The spleen, working alongside the stomach, functions like an energy center that digests food and absorbs nutrients. Therefore, when the mind becomes crowded and anxious, the spleen—the body's central engine for energy production—fails to operate properly.\n\nThis induces a state of qi stagnation and dysphoria, meaning that qi, the vital energy circulating through the body, stagnates and feels constrained. Much like traffic brought to a complete standstill on a highway, the circulation of qi becomes blocked by stress. When qi is trapped, the spleen loses its inherent capacity for transformation and transportation—the ability to digest food and distribute nutrients throughout the body—a state recorded as 'transformation and transportation losing control'. Consequently, food passes directly down into the intestines without being properly digested, resulting in diarrhea.\n\nJust as a single pebble disturbs a clear stream, anxious and excessive thoughts disrupt internal balance and burden the gut. Donguibogam recognized long ago that the mind and body are fundamentally connected as one.
