To truly appreciate the function of acupuncture points, it is helpful to understand how the ancient Chinese thought about their world. Their conception of the universe is well reflected in the early Chinese mythology presented earlier in this text. When we understand this mythology (literally, spirit talk, shenhua), the spirits of the points come alive and talk to us. Just as Emperor Yu travelled throughout China and became familiar with the spirits of the deep structures, so too must the acupuncturist know intimately the nature of the spirit present in each acupuncture point.