《内经》十八卷，未尝有短语及邪祟。其言邪气盛则实者，指六淫之邪耳，非世俗
所谓神鬼妖怪也。丹溪云∶虚病痰病，有似邪祟，盖神既衰乏，邪因而入，血气两亏，
痰客中焦，妨碍升降，不得运用，以致十二官各失其职，视听言动，皆为虚妄，以邪治
之，其人必死。有因思想郁结太过，以致心灵真神虚损，运用精气，偏聚一脏，即所谓
邪气胜则实，乃有大力倍于平时，癫狂日久不倦、惊惕如痴，如中鬼邪者，或阳明内
实，登高而歌，弃衣而走，杀人不避水火，骂詈不避亲疏者，此皆神明摇乱之症。古人
有祝由一科，龙树咒法之治，皆移情变气之卫，但可解疑释惑，使心神归正耳。何邪祟
之可祛哉！虽然山谷幽阴，时有猿精狐怪，生房日久，或多怨鬼愁魂，花木精多为孽，
鸡犬岁久与妖，然必因虚而入，盖正气虚，则阳明之气不足以胜其幽潜，更必因心而
客。盖邪心起，则淫乱之神适足以招其类聚，或畏惧深，则疑似之念，适足以惑其心
灵，乃致面黄肌瘦，或无端骂詈，或昏倦嗜卧，或语言锗乱，或嗜好失常，或饮食久
绝，而神色不变，或危笃垂毙，而忽尔康强，或妄言祸福，而明征不谬，或叫号震
击，而猛悍非常，或两脉而如出两人，或一脉而浮沉不等，乍疏乍数，乍大乍小，或促
或结，或滑或实，凡遇此症，但以补虚安神为主，祛邪逐祟为佐。有痰者吐之消之，有
积者下之攻之，用禁咒灸法，以治其外，正言激论，以醒其心，未有不愈者。若张皇无
主，纯用攻击，不惟不能去病也。
五脏所藏，乃魂魄神意智耳。五脏和则所藏安，气血调和，何病之有？若或多思
想，或多脑怒，或多惊恐，或多悲哀，或多忧抑，七情偏胜，五脏失和，则偏害之病生
矣。《经》曰∶邪气胜则实，所以发也。逾墙上屋，力强不倦，及将愈也，乃有倦色，
始能寐矣。《经》所谓上气夺则虚也。然究其源，莫不由气血之衰，正气之弱而得，故
有虚极之症，误投寒凉峻削则虚，虚火上乘，狂跳不止者，得虚火归源则已。有妇人
肝肾素虚，一受胎孕即发，产后便愈者，有小儿先天心肾不足，或后天病中调理失宜，
因成是病，情窦既开，所发愈密者，观此正虚邪实可见矣。治法凡当邪气盛时，暂为清
理，以衰其邪，即《内经》夺食之意。及其稍缓，便培本元，调和气血。若徒事克伐，
不惟癫狂难瘳，抑且难保其生命矣。
《黄帝内经》十八卷中，从未有过关于“短语”及“邪祟”的记载。书中所说的“邪气盛则实”，指的是六淫（风、寒、暑、湿、燥、火）之邪，而非世俗所认为的神鬼妖怪。
朱丹溪说：虚证和痰证，症状类似邪祟。这是因为人的神气已经衰败匮乏，邪气趁机侵入；血和气都亏损，痰浊停留于中焦，阻碍了气机的升降出入，导致脏腑功能无法正常运行，致使十二官（指心、肺、肝、脾、肾等脏腑）各自失去其职守，看、听、说、动等行为，都变得虚妄不实。如果用祛除邪祟的方法去治疗，病人必定死亡。
有的因为思虑郁结太过，导致心灵真神虚损，运用精气时，偏聚在一脏，这就是所谓的“邪气胜则实”。于是出现力气比平时大得多，癫狂日久不知疲倦，惊恐警惕如同痴呆，好像中了鬼邪一样；或者是阳明腑实证，登高而歌，脱衣乱跑，杀人而不避水火，骂人而不分亲疏的人。这些都是神明摇乱的症状。
古人有祝由科，以及龙树咒法的治疗，都是移情变气的卫护手段，只能用来解除疑惑、释开心结，使心神回归正道罢了。哪里有什么邪祟可以祛除呢！
虽然山谷幽暗阴冷，时常有猿精狐怪；居住时间久的房舍，可能多有怨鬼愁魂；花木年久成精多为妖孽；鸡犬岁久也通妖气。然而这些邪气必定是因为人体虚弱才侵入的。大概是因为正气虚弱，阳明之气不足以战胜那些幽潜的邪气，更必须因心生邪念而客居体内。如果心中产生邪念，那么淫乱之神恰好足以招引同类聚集；或者畏惧过深，那么疑似的念头，恰好足以迷惑心灵。于是导致面色黄、肌肉消瘦，或者无故骂人，或者昏沉疲倦嗜睡，或者言语错乱，或者嗜好失常，或者长期绝食而神色不变，或者病情危重垂死，却忽然康复强壮，或者妄言祸福而明征不谬，或者叫号震击而猛悍非常，或者左右两脉象如出两人，或者一脉之中浮沉不等，忽快忽慢，忽大忽小，或急促或结代，或滑利或坚实。凡是遇到这种病症，都以补虚安神为主，祛邪逐祟为辅助。有痰的用吐法或消法，有积滞的用下法攻逐，用禁咒灸法治其外，用正言激论来唤醒其心，没有不痊愈的。如果惊慌失措、没有主见，纯用攻击性的药物，不仅不能去除疾病。
五脏所藏的是魂、魄、神、意、智。五脏调和，那么所藏之物就安宁，气血调和，会有什么病呢？如果多思虑，或多恼怒，或多惊恐，或多悲哀，或多忧抑，七情偏胜，五脏失和，就会产生偏害的疾病。《内经》说：“邪气胜则实”，所以发病。逾墙上屋，力气强盛不知疲倦，这是实证；等到快要痊愈时，才会有倦色，才能入睡。《内经》所谓“上气夺则虚”。然而究其根源，无不由于气血衰弱、正气虚弱所致。所以有极度虚弱的病症，误投寒凉峻削的药物，导致虚火上乘，狂跳不止，得到虚火归源的治疗方法就好了。有妇人肝肾素来虚弱，一受孕即发病，产后便痊愈的；有小儿先天心肾不足，或后天病中调理失宜，因而形成这种病，情窦既开，发作越频繁的。观察这些情况，可以看出正是正虚邪实。治疗方法凡是在邪气盛的时候，暂时进行清理，以削弱邪气，就是《内经》“夺食”的意思。等到邪气稍缓，就培补本元，调和气血。如果只是从事克伐（攻伐），不仅癫狂难以治愈，而且难以保全生命。
The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), in its eighteen volumes, never mentions "short phrases" or "evil spirits/demon possession." What it refers to as "when pathogenic factors are abundant, there is excess" points to the Six Excesses (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire), not the gods, ghosts, or monsters believed in by the secular world.
Zhu Danxi said: Deficiency syndromes and Phlegm syndromes resemble demon possession. This is because the Shen Spirit (Spirit/Mind) has already declined and become deficient, allowing pathogens to enter opportunistically; both Blood and Qi are depleted, while Phlegm lingers in the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), obstructing the ascending and descending of Qi mechanism, rendering organ functions unable to operate normally. Consequently, the Twelve Officials (referring to the Zang-Fu organs) each lose their duties, and acts of seeing, hearing, speaking, and moving all become illusory and false. If treated with methods to expel demons, the patient will certainly die.
Some cases arise from excessive rumination and emotional stagnation, leading to a deficiency of the True Spirit within the Heart-Mind. When utilizing Jing-Qi (Essence-Qi), it becomes concentrated in one Zang organ. This is what is meant by "pathogenic factors are abundant, resulting in excess." Thus, the person exhibits strength far greater than usual, suffers from mania for a long time without fatigue, feels startled and vigilant like a fool, appearing as if possessed by a ghost or evil spirit. Or, in cases of Yangming Fu-Excess Syndrome (Excess Heat in the Stomach and Intestines), the patient climbs on roofs and sings, discards clothes and runs around, kills people without avoiding fire or water, and curses without distinguishing between relatives and strangers. These are all symptoms of the disturbance of the Shen Spirit.
In ancient times, there was the Zhu You department (a branch of medicine involving incantations and psychological healing), and treatments using Longshu Mantras. These were all methods of shifting emotions and altering Qi for protection, capable only of resolving doubts and confusion, thereby guiding the Shen Spirit back to orthodoxy. How could there be any demons to expel!
Although deep valleys are dark and yin, often inhabited by ape spirits and fox monsters; houses occupied for long periods may harbor resentful ghosts and sorrowful souls; plants and trees that have existed for ages may become spirits causing harm; chickens and dogs old enough may also become demonic. However, these pathogens must enter due to internal deficiency. Generally, when Zheng Qi (Upright/Healthy Qi) is weak, the Qi of the Yangming channel is insufficient to overcome these hidden pathogens, and they must lodge in the body due to mental states. If evil thoughts arise, the chaotic Shen is precisely sufficient to attract similar entities; or if fear is profound, suspicious thoughts are precisely sufficient to confuse the mind. This leads to sallow complexion and emaciation, or unprovoked cursing, or lethargy and drowsiness, or disordered speech, or abnormal preferences, or prolonged refusal of food while facial expression remains unchanged, or critical condition nearing death yet suddenly recovering strength, or delusional predictions of fortune and misfortune that prove accurate, or screaming and striking with unusual ferocity, or pulse differences between left and right wrists as if from two different people, or a single pulse varying in depth and force, sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, sometimes large and sometimes small, sometimes choppy or knotted, sometimes slippery or full. Whenever encountering such symptoms, the primary treatment should be tonifying deficiency and calming the Shen, with expelling demons as an adjunct. For those with Phlegm, use emesis or resolution methods; for those with accumulation, use purgation. Treat externally with incantations and moxibustion, and awaken the mind with sincere words and logical arguments. There would be no case that does not heal. If one panics and lacks direction, relying solely on attacking methods, not only will the disease not be removed...
The Five Zang organs store Hun (Ethereal Soul), Po (Corporeal Soul), Shen (Spirit), Yi (Intellect), and Zhi (Will). When the Five Zang are harmonious, what they store remains secure; when Qi and Blood are harmonious, what illness would there be? If there is excessive thinking, excessive anger, excessive fright, excessive grief, or excessive depression, causing an imbalance among the Seven Emotions (Joy, Anger, Worry, Pensiveness, Sorrow, Fear, Fright), the Five Zang lose harmony, and diseases of bias/harm arise. The *Classic* says: "When pathogenic factors are abundant, there is excess," which causes the onset of disease. Climbing over walls or onto roofs, with strong power and no fatigue, indicates excess. As recovery approaches, fatigue appears, and sleep becomes possible. The *Classic* states: "When Upper Qi is depleted, there is deficiency." However, investigating the source, all stem from the decline of Qi and Blood and the weakness of Zheng Qi. Therefore, in cases of extreme deficiency, mistakenly administering cold and harsh draining herbs leads to deficiency, with deficient fire rising upward, causing uncontrollable palpitations. This resolves when the deficient fire returns to its source. Some women with inherent Liver-Kidney deficiency develop this upon conception and recover after childbirth. Some children suffer from congenital Heart-Kidney insufficiency or improper post-natal care during illness, forming this disease; once sexual maturity begins, attacks become more frequent. Observing these cases reveals the pattern of Righteous Deficiency and Pathogenic Excess. The treatment method, when pathogenic factors are abundant, is temporarily to clear and purge to weaken the pathogen, following the intent of "depriving food" in the *Neijing*. Once slightly relieved, one must cultivate the root Yuan Qi and harmonize Qi and Blood. If one merely engages in destructive/draining therapies, not only will mania be difficult to cure, but life will also be hard to preserve.