Philosophical health and wuxing ontology.

Introduction: In recent years, a new form of health has emerged, namely philosophical health. This novel concept is part of the philosophical counseling movement and relies on the philosophical method called the SMILE-PH interview, which draws heavily from continental philosophy, including phenomenology. Reflecting on the link between health and philosophy brings us to an ancient healthcare tradition that actively relies on philosophy: Chinese healthcare and its founding wuxing, or five phases ontology.

Objective: The aim of this study is to interpret philosophical health from the standpoint of wuxing ontology.

Methods: We used the multiple meanings of the five phases to interpret the six concepts of SMILE-PH interview method. Then, we monitored how applying the SMILE-PH involves a parent phase triggering for the counselee. Last, we focused our analysis on the triggered phase and conceptualized them into philosophical health.

Results: The SMILE-PH topics are located in a specific phase, namely the Metal phase (xin), which is described by the concepts of connection, existence, identity, meaning in one's life, and spirituality. The one-phase structure of SMILE-PH fosters the triggering of its parent phase: the predominant Metal phase character of the SMILE-PH interview will promote the appearance of Earth phase answers. Conceptualizing the Earth phase into philosophical health adds the following aspects to the latter: emotional stability, the feeling of plenitude, and sharing without a transactional mindset.

Conclusion: We obtained a clear perspective of the place of SMILE-PH in wuxing ontology and added a new layer to philosophical health. The other phases of wuxing ontology remain to be tested and integrated into philosophical health.