He Zuoxiu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), published an essay titled "I Don't Approve of Youngsters Practicing Qigong" in the magazine Science Readings for Youngsters. In the essay, he mentioned a student from the Theoretical Physics Institute of CAS who became psychopathic as a result of practicing "Falun Gong." The student was none other than one of my postgraduates. I will not mention his name, to protect this victim of "Falun Gong."
This student was diagnosed by a doctor as suffering from schizophrenia, as a result of practicing "Falun Gong" while he was studying at the Theoretical Physics Institute. He had to give up his plan to study for a doctorate, and left the institute with only a Master's degree.
An Excellent Student
This student of mine was an excellent student when he studied in the Physics Department of Nanjing University. After graduation with a Bachelor's degree, he was recommended by his university to the Theoretical Physics Institute of CAS as a healthy and excellent student. According to relevant stipulations, all postgraduates, including the "recommended candidates exempt from entrance examination requirements" and students enrolled through preliminary examination, have to undergo an oral interview before they are formally enrolled. I was a member of the interview panel of the Theoretical Physics Institute. We all gave this student excellent marks, and did not find him mentally abnormal in the least.
After being admitted to the Theoretical Physics Institute, this student ranked among the best postgraduates in the first two academic years. Therefore, according to the relevant stipulations as well as his own wish, he was formally accepted after an examination as one of my "students entitled to directly study for a doctorate after obtaining a Master's degree" at the end of his first academic year. In all, he obtained high marks in his first two academic years.
"Possessed by the Devil"
This student began to practice "Falun Gong" in his first academic year. In the first stage of his practice, his studies and research work were not apparently affected. Therefore, his practice of "Falun Gong" did not draw my attention. Later on, he used to "sit in meditation" in the office, carefully and wholeheartedly practicing "Falun Gong." So his practice of "Falun Gong" was no longer a secret to me and the other postgraduates who shared the office with him. When he was practicing, he often had books about "Falun Gong" close at hand. Before he went home to visit his relatives during his second winter vacation, he repeatedly urged me to "embrace" and practice "Falun Gong," insisted on leaving his books about "Falun Gong" with me, and urged me to spend some time reading them. He was the only one of my students who persisted in trying to get me to practice Qigong (breathing exercise), especially "Falun Gong." And the other people around him knew that he was the only student practicing "Falun Gong" devoutly.
After this student entered his third academic year, his practice of "Falun Gong" began to affect his studies. His research work clearly slowed down. At first, I failed to immediately connect this with his practice of "Falun Gong" and I did not grasp the root of the "problem." At about 10 p.m. of New Year's Day of 1998, another postgraduate of mine phoned me, reporting that this student had been practicing "Falun Gong" for two days without food, drink or sleep, and asking me to go immediately to his dormitory to see him. I hung up the telephone and went to his dormitory right away. He was quite abnormal, just as that postgraduate had reported. He kept on practicing "Falun Gong" and sitting in meditation without food, drink or sleep. He did not talk at all. He did not do any harm to others, but he did not allow others to interrupt his practicing and sitting in meditation. When we advised him to take sustenance, he flew into a rage.
Conveyed to a Mental Hospital
That evening, my other postgraduates and I tried hard to get him to stop practicing "Falun Gong," but in vain. Finally, we escorted him to a mental hospital. Since it was very late on New Year's Day, we had to register for emergency treatment. The doctor at once diagnosed his illness as schizophrenia. The student would not answer other people's questions, but was able to "recognize" me as his tutor and answer my questions. He told me that he could hear voices inside his head, which told him not to stop practicing "Falun Gong" and sitting in meditation. I told the doctor about his symptoms. The doctor said, "This is an auditory hallucination. He may do something dangerous, and you should keep a close watch on him." Then I asked the doctor whether his schizophrenia had anything to do with his practice of "Falun Gong." The doctor replied without hesitation that it was his practice of "Falun Gong" that caused his condition. He added that it was not a rare case. This diagnosis that the practice of Qigong could cause schizophrenia reminded me of another postgraduate of the Theoretical Physics Institute who suffered from schizophrenia due to practicing Qigong years ago. Therefore, I did not doubt at all the doctor's words or his diagnosis. After that, the Theoretical Physics Institute immediately informed this student's parents (both teachers at a key high school), who traveled overnight to Beijing. Seeing their only son in that state, they were reduced to tears. But they had no alternative but to allow him to be sent to the prestigious Beijing Psychiatric Hospital for treatment.
He Got His Master's Degree in This Way
After three months of hospital treatment, the student's disease was put under control. He left hospital and went back to his studies for a while. However, since he had had an attack of schizophrenia, I doubted that he would still be able to study and do research according to the original plan. So I made fewer demands on him and slowed down his study schedule, for fear he might have a relapse. Somehow he did not follow the doctor's advice, and stopped taking the medicine he had been recommended. (The treatment of schizophrenia with medicine generally takes a long time, and the medicine can only be gradually reduced until the patient completely recovers from his illness. It is said that "Falun Gong" holds the belief that patients should not consult doctors or take medicine.) He started to practice "Falun Gong" again. Soon after, he again showed symptoms of schizophrenia. His parents returned to Beijing, and asked to take him home so that they could look after him, make sure he took his medicine and stop him practicing "Falun Gong." They also asked me to allow him to finish his Master's thesis at home by correspondence, and then take an oral examination at the Theoretical Physics Institute after he regained his health. The institute agreed to their request. I thought that this student's research findings during his first two academic years, after a little supplementation and arrangement, could constitute a qualified Master's thesis. Meanwhile, in order to prevent him from relapsing into schizophrenia at home, I instructed him in finishing his Master's thesis without laying any heavier burdens on him. This arrangement seemed to go quite well. He posted me the draft of his Master's thesis, which I corrected before it was finalized. He also took the oral examination when he was in better health, and passed without difficulty. Soon after, the Theoretical Physics Institute formally granted him a Master's degree.
It is well known that schizophrenia can be cured, or at least brought under control if treatment is applied in time.
Finally, I think that people should draw a lesson from this near-tragedy. The essay by He Zuoxiu was very much to the point; the practice of Qigong is unsuitable for youngsters, and people should pay more attention to this.
(Excerpted from Science and Technology Daily, December 3, 1999)
