Eighth Energy Center: Pai-Hui/Crown of The Head

The Pai-hui (Niwan) is called the crown or the pineal body and is

located above the mid-brain. Its functions are related to sensitivity

and to the sexual cycle. It governs the hindbrain, hearing, body

rhythm, equilibrium, perception of light through the eyes and skin,

and is the superior counter-support of the brain and spinal cord. In

Chinese it is called the Hundred Point Joint or the compass of

men, because it is at the top of the crown of the head. When you

concentrate here you may feel pressure or a sense of expansion

in the middle of the head. This is an indication of power flow. When

this happens, concentrate on the next point and remember not to

spend more than a month practicing on any one energy center.

When the power passes through the mid-brain and the region

of the pineal gland, you may feel some tightness or a kind of pressure

pushing forward and backward in this area. You may also

suddenly feel very sleepy. When the power freely passes through

this point you will be afflicted less by illusion, you will be able to

concentrate better, and your head will feel much lighter. However,

as blood flow to the head increases, your eyes may redden. When

the power builds up more some people may see light, a rainbow of

colors, the sun, the moon, or a star twinkling before their eyes.

Others may feel that they can foresee the future (but that is an

illusion because occult vision is still far off at this stage). No matter

what comes up, simply find ways to calm your mind.

Completing the Microcosmic Orbit does not mean that some

special sense will be opened to you, though the energy or chi vibrating

in the brain and coursing back and forth through the nervous

system can lead to various aberrations of the senses. You

may see and hear many unusual things, but all of them will simply

be illusions, so try to ignore them.

Some practitioners describe being surrounded by light. Traditional

Chinese masters would explain such an experience as being

due to some physical ailment which gradually reflects outwardly.

Those who have weak kidneys or a low sex drive will reflect a black

light. Those with liver illness find that the light that is reflected is

green. People with heart disease report seeing red light. Lung disease

is expressed as a white light. Spleen and stomach illness is

indicated in yellow and for those with gall bladder disease, the light

which is reflected will be black. If the redness of the eyes does not

go away after practicing for two or three hours, you should consult

a doctor.