Abishag the Shunamite tends to aging David, c. 1435.David and Abishag by Pedro Américo, 1879
Shunamitism (also referred to as gerocomy[1]) is the practice of an old man sleeping with, but not necessarily having sex with, a young virgin to preserve his youth. It is considered an esoteric youth-enhancing method.[2] The rationale was that the heat and moisture of the young woman would transfer to the old man and revitalize him.[3]
The term is based on the biblical story of King David and Abishag. The young woman, who was from Shunem, was also referred to as a Shunammite.[4] When King David was old and could not stay warm, his servants found Abishag to sleep with him, though he had no intimate relations with her: therefore, she was still a virgin.[5]
Among scientific physicians, Thomas Sydenham (17th century) prescribed shunamitism for his patients. The DutchHerman Boerhaave (18th century) also recommended this method to an old Burgomaster, citing it can restore strength and spirits.[6]
Similar East Asian traditions
The practice is known by the name Shaoyintongqin (少陰同寢).
China
In the 16th century Chinese medical book Bencao Gangmu by Li Shizhen, it records that "For old man, or humans who lack the energy, sleep with a girl who is before 14, as there is no better medicine than receiving the qi that is present in a young girl", however it advises not to do any sexual acts and just sleep when performing the practice, as it would have a reverse effect if you do. The book also notes the relatively new variant during the time called "contact for supplementation", which lets the girl send the qi to enter the nose orifices, navel, and essence(sperm) gate, so as to reach their cinnabar fields. It also advises to perform it during the nighttime instead of daytime.[7][8]Su Nü Jing states how sleeping with a virgin would make diseases disappear.[9]
Korea
The young girl that was used for the practice was called "witbangagi" (윗방아기) and was usually of slave origin or from a poor economic background and was usually used by the Yangban class. The practice continued until the early 20th century.[10]
^Schulz, James H.; Binstock, Robert H. (2008). Aging Nation: The Economics and Politics of Growing Older in America. Baltimore, MD: JHU Press. p. 181. ISBN978-0-8018-8864-9.
^Friedrichs, Robert (March 1989). "American Sociological Hegemony: Transnational Explorations". Social Forces. 67: 821–822.
^Steven Shapin and Christopher Martyn, "How to live forever: lessons of history", British Medical Journal, BMJ 2000;321;1580-1582]
^Jamieson, Robert; Brown, David; Fausset, Andrew Robert (1871). A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Joshua-Esther, Volume II. London and Glasgow: William Collins. p. 291.
^Hayflick, Leonard (1994). How and why We Age. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 282. ISBN978-0-345-33918-8.
^Compendium of Materia Medica,人部,人氣,"醫家所謂元氣相火，仙家所謂元陽真火，一也。天非此火不能生物，人非此火不能有生。故老人、虛人，與二七以前少陰同寢，借其熏蒸，最為有益。杜甫詩云「暖老須燕玉」，正此意也。但不可行淫，以喪寶促生耳。近時術家，令童女以氣進入鼻竅、臍中、精門，以通三田，謂之接補。此亦小法，不得其道者，反以致疾。按謝承《續漢書雲︰太醫史循宿禁中，寒疝病發，求火不得。眾人以口更噓其背，至旦遂愈。劉敬叔《異苑》雲︰孫家奚奴治虎傷蛇噬垂死者，以氣禁之，皆安。又葛洪《抱朴子》雲︰人在氣中，氣在人中。天地萬物，無不須氣以生。善行氣者，內以養身，外以卻惡。然行之有法，從子至巳為生氣之時，從午至亥為死氣之時。常以生氣時，鼻中引氣，入多出少，閉而數之，從九九、八八、七七、六六、五五而止，乃微吐之，勿令耳聞。習之既熟，增至千數，此為胎息(What medical experts call “original qi” and “minister fire,” and what the experts in [the arts of ] immortality call “original yang” and“true fire,” this is all the same. If heaven did not have this fire, it would be unable to generate things. If man did not have this fire, he would be unable to live. Hence, when an old person, or someone with a depletion sleeps together with a minor yin [person, i.e., a girl] below two times seven [years of age], he will avail himself of her vapors and steam, and this is of greatest benefit to him. Hence, when Du Fu stated in a poem, “to warm up an old [man], a swallow of jade is required,” this was the same meaning. However, they must not commit adultery as this would contribute to the loss of a valued life. Recently, the experts in the [longevity] arts have let young girls emit their qi into the nostrils, the navel and the essence/sperm gate [of old men] to reach their cinnabar field, and they have called this “contact for supplementation.” This is another marginal method. If one does not perform it the right way, then, contrary to his expections, it may cause illness. Xie Cheng in his Xu Han shu has related [the following case]: “Once the Imperial Physician Shi made his rounds1351 and stayed overnight in the Forbidden [Palace]. Th ere he developed a disease of cold elevation-illness. 1352 He requested a fire but this could not be offered.Everybody, one after another, breathed on his back. When the morning came, he was cured.” Liu Jingshu in his Yi yuan states: “A slave in Sun’s household cured persons critically injured by a tiger and bitten by a snake by banning [the poison] with his qi, and they were all saved.” Also, Ge Hong in his Bao pu zi states: “Man exists within qi, and the qi are within man. All the creatures under heaven and on earth require qi to live. Th ose who are experts in maintaining the passage of qi, they internally nourish their body, and externally ward off the malign. However, to make the qi pass requires a certain technique. The hours from zi (23-1) to si (9-11) are those of living qi; the hours from wu (11-13) to hai (21-23) are those of dead qi. [The experts] always inhale qi, through the nose, during the hours of living qi. Th ey let much in, and let only a little out. They close [nose and mouth] and start counting: From nine times nine, through eight times eight, seven times seven, six times six, and five times five, and then they stop and gently spit out [the breath again]. The ears must not hear a sound. If one through repeated practice gets used to this, he may increase the numbers counted to one thousand. This is the fetal breathing. )"
^Translation from Ben cao gang mu, Volume IX, University of California Press,2021
