Direct Experience vs. Daoist Texts: Why Nei Qi Gong Speaks a Different Language
- Jiaoshi Andrea
- Nov 16, 2025
- 3 min read
In the last few weeks, I’ve been receiving thoughtful questions from my students inside our private Discord group. One that stood out to me touches on a topic that is often misunderstood, especially for people who approach internal practices with a sincere intention to grow.
The question was simple but profound:“Why does Nei Qi Gong emphasize direct experience instead of relying on the classical Daoist texts and philosophical descriptions of internal alchemy?”
To put it differently:Is Nei Qi Gong’s practical, down-to-earth approach a modern reinvention of an ancient art?
The answer, at least from my experience, is clear.
The Value of Direct Experience
Nei Gong is a system built on the honesty of results. If something works, you should be able to feel it. Step by step, your sensitivity should grow. Your energy should become more tangible. Your mind should become clearer. And the path itself should be confirmed by the body, not by theory.
This is why I always encourage my students to approach the practice with skepticism — even toward me, toward the system, and especially toward their own interpretations of what they believe is happening. Skepticism keeps the practice clean and prevents the mind from adding unnecessary content on top of the exercises.
Why Texts Can Mislead You
Classical Daoist writings are poetic, symbolic, and deeply influenced by the culture of their time. They describe real experiences, but they do so using metaphors, analogies, and imagery that made sense 1,000 or 2,000 years ago. Today, the language has changed. The way people think has changed. Society has changed.
So when we read these texts without having lived the experiences behind them, the risk is enormous.We start to imagine things.We start to project meaning into sensations that are not there.We start to chase fantasies.
And this is not harmless. It can distort the practice and even lead to losing touch with reality, especially when people mix spiritual work with psychedelics or substances that alter perception. I have walked through that territory myself, and I know how dangerous it can be.
When Theory Becomes Useful
There is nothing wrong with philosophical exploration. But it must come at the right time — only after the body and the nervous system have already begun to understand the practice from the inside. At that point, reading the ancient texts becomes illuminating, not confusing. You begin to recognize what the author is trying to express, because you have tasted the same thing.
But until then, theory becomes a distraction. A story. A nice tale that pulls you away from your own process.
Nei Gong Is Not Different — It Is Honest
There is no real divergence between Daoist tradition and Nei Gong. Nei Gong is simply the practical aspect of what ancient texts describe symbolically. It is the same mountain, seen from a different angle.
The difference is that Nei Gong does not allow space for illusions. It does not rely on ideas or imagination. It is a neutral amplifier:It amplifies your clarity if you are honest,and it amplifies your confusion if you are not careful.
This is why the system keeps things simple, clean, minimal. Less theory, more reality.
Walk the Path Before You Describe It
If you committed to this journey — whether in the first program or more advanced stages — trust the process. Walk the steps. Stay empty. Don’t add anything. Don’t compare. Don’t analyze your level. Those things will come, if needed, from the guidance of someone who walked the path before you.
At the end, the conclusion is simple: There is no conflict between Nei Qi Gong and Daoist philosophy.There is only a difference between reading about a mountain and climbing it.
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