Do Your Organs Have a Psychology?
It may seem strange at first, but each of your organs has a psychological quality—a temperament that mirrors both its physical function and its subtle energetic movement. In ancient sciences like Ayurveda and TCM, no organ acts merely as a mechanical structure. Each organ:
- performs a clear physical task,
- expresses a specific internal movement (wind, fire, fluid),
- generates a consistent emotional tone,
- and therefore reflects a psychology.
Modern Western science tends to isolate systems—mind here, body there, psychology only in the brain. But Eastern sciences have always seen the body as an interconnected field. The mind expresses itself through the body, and the body influences the mind.
With this perspective, organ psychology becomes not metaphor, but practical diagnosis.
Two Views of Mind–Body Relationship
Bottom-Up View (Materialist)
- Body came first
- Then organs
- Then nervous system
- Then brain
- Then mind
In this model, the mind is an end-product.
Top-Down View (Yogic & Tantric Sciences)
- Mind is the field in which body, organs, and sensations arise
- Physical structures are patterns within that field
- A change in mind → change in body
This second view brings unusual freedom.
If the mind is the origin, then the body is flexible.
A shift in awareness can change organ behaviour.
From this understanding, an organ’s psychology is simply your own psychology expressed through that organ’s function.
Organ Psychology Is Your Psychology
There is no separation. The organ is not an independent machine sitting inside you. It is a pattern of your mind manifesting in physical form.
When the organ expresses a certain behaviour — overworking, hesitating, holding, pushing, expanding, contracting — it is mirroring a deeper mental pattern that may or may not be conscious yet.
My Background in Organ-Based Diagnosis
Having been trained in TCM and Ayurveda, I have studied and practiced the science of Nadi Pariksha (pulse diagnosis) to a level where we are trained to assess the doshic imbalance in each major organ of the body.
Nadi Pariksha does not only read Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in the body as a whole — it distinguishes:
- the movement of Vata in specific organs,
- the heat or sharpness of Pitta inside each organ,
- the stagnation or fluid accumulation of Kapha within individual organs.
Each organ reveals a unique psychological pattern through its pulse, its temperature, its movement, and its responsiveness.
I won’t go into the full diagnostic method here, but if you wish to meet and explore this through a session, I will be happy to offer this work privately. It is one of the most powerful ways to understand both your body and your unconscious emotional patterns.
How Movement Creates Psychology
- Stagnant movement → Kapha dominance
(heaviness, slowing, water accumulation) - Hyperactive movement → Vata dominance
(irregular, restless, anxious behaviour) - Balanced movement → Pitta
(sharpness, clarity, effective functioning)
When we are unconscious of an organ’s inner movement, the organ influences our mind.
When we are aware of it, the mind influences the organ.
This is the foundation for organ psychology.
LEFT KIDNEY — The Maternal Will
Why this psychology?
The left kidney is associated with Yin qualities in TCM: nourishment, coolness, protection, stability.
It governs the deeper reserves, the quiet supportive functions — just like maternal energy that “holds” life.
- Stores deep essence (Jing) → long-term nurturance
- Slow, stabilising function → maternal groundedness
- Supports fluids → emotional softness
Psychological expressions:
nurturing, holding, protection, gentle resilience.
RIGHT KIDNEY — The Paternal Will
Why this psychology?
The right kidney is associated with Yang qualities: movement, push, heat, action.
- Drives metabolism and ambition
- Provides structural fire for growth
- Governs initiative and will
These are the same traits we culturally recognise as paternal.
Psychological expressions:
drive, responsibility, discipline, movement, “push forward.”
STOMACH — The Worker
Why this psychology?
- It works on whatever arrives, without discrimination
- Its digestive acids attempt to dissolve anything placed in it
- It keeps secreting, churning, contracting — even if the job is impossible
- It shows determination without judgement
- It works for hours with no “complaint mechanism”
This mirrors the psychology of:
“I will do my best with whatever I am given.”
Psychological expressions:
hard work, over-effort, carrying burdens, taking on too much.
SPLEEN — The Administrator
Why this psychology?
Spleen handles:
- distribution,
- organisation,
- resource management.
Physiologically, the spleen:
- filters blood
- recycles old cells
- screens threats
- coordinates immune response
It acts like a manager sorting and organising resources.
Psychological expressions:
administration, planning, boundaries, managing details.
LIVER — The General
Why this psychology?
- Liver fascia governs rotation patterns
- Liver controls smooth flow of Qi
- It “strategises” how the body’s energy is deployed
Physically, the liver:
- handles 500+ tasks
- coordinates detoxification
- distributes nutrients
- maintains biochemical order
These are general-level responsibilities.
Psychological expressions:
vision, planning, command, frustration, strategic oversight.
GALL BLADDER — The Decider
Why this psychology?
The gall bladder’s main physical job is surprisingly small but extremely precise:
- It stores bile
- Releases it at exactly the right moment
- Times its action to coordinate with the liver and intestines
This is timing and precision, hence it acts like a strategist.
Psychological expressions:
decision-making, timing, courage to act, clarity of steps.
HEART — The Spirit
Why this psychology?
Physically:
- It sends blood everywhere
- Connects all tissues
- Rhythmic coherence influences emotional regulation
- When heart rhythm is calm, mind is calm
The heart literally ensures every part of the body is connected with every other.
Psychological expressions:
connection, sincerity, joy, emotional warmth.
LUNGS — The Bridge
Why this psychology?
- Lungs receive the outside world as breath
- They hold, absorb, and exchange
- They manage boundaries: what enters, what leaves
- Their movement is rhythmic: receiving → releasing
This organ is about receptivity, letting in, letting go.
Psychological expressions:
receiving support, self-worthiness, grief, acceptance.
Emotions of Each Organ
- Kidneys → Fear
- Liver → Anger / Frustration
- Heart → Joy / Agitation
- Spleen → Worry
- Lungs → Grief / Sadness
- Gall Bladder → Indecision / Courage
Understanding Organ Dysfunction Through Psychology
When an organ under-functions, others must compensate.
- The weak organ becomes a sadist:
It forces others to take on its work, and hides itself away to show no symptoms. - The over-functioning organs become masochists:
They sacrifice their wellbeing to maintain system balance, and are quick to show symptoms.
This creates:
- mood patterns,
- behavioural tendencies,
- relationship styles,
- postural habits,
- chronic symptoms.
Recognising this gives you extraordinary diagnostic clarity.
Conscious Awareness
Where the mind goes, understanding arises.
When you bring consciousness into an organ:
- the movement changes,
- the psychology balances,
- the emotion releases,
- the physical function improves.
Your organs are not machines.
They are expressions of your mind.
To understand them is to understand yourself.
Sarva Mangalam,
Amman Advaita
Amman Advaita 
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