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# Re: [FranzBardonMagi] Pain

#### Message 00718 of 3835

- To: <FranzBardonMagi@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: Re: [FranzBardonMagi] Pain
- From: "Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>
- Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 17:47:35 -0700
- Cc: "BardonPraxis" <BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com>
- References: <b8e8pl+oc08@eGroups.com>

    Dear Julia,

    >> In exercises regarding recreation of the senses, I have noticed that
    although senses such as sight, sound, touch etc can be made real with
    the mind, I cannot create a sensation of pain. Even when recalling a
    very painful event, I can only (all too easily) recreate the
    psychological reaction to that pain, but not the physical sensation
    itself. Why is this so? <<

    ;-) You've answered your own question! The distinction between "pain"
    and simple "sensation" is primarily psychological. Both involve energy
    moving along nerves in response to a stimulus. When this nerve energy
    reaches the brain it is *interpreted* by the brain and identified as
    this or that. And when the brain says "pain!", the physical body starts
    creating endorphins which stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain
    and tend to make the body forget its pain.

    So unless you are currently experiencing pain, it's very difficult, *at
    first*, to create the sensation from memory in the Step Two exercise. I
    suggest (assuming you're not already experiencing a pain) that you
    create the sensation of pain by poking your finger with a sewing needle
    or pin. Focus intently upon the sensation and experience it as fully as
    possible in the short time it lasts. Then, try to replicate it
    immediately with your creative imagination. You will learn some
    valuable lessons about pain from this harmless little experiment!

    >> And why are the psychological effects of pain so far worse than the
    (usually) brief moment of the pain itself? Come to think of it,
    psychological pain is always far worse, even when there was no physical
    pain that triggered it. <<

    The psyche is what *interprets* sensation and decides if it is
    "pleasurable" or "painful" or somewhere in between. In other words,
    it's the psyche that suffers "pain", not the body itself. The body only
    *experiences sensation*. It's when we mentally and emotionally
    *interpret* the sensation perceived by our body-instrument that the
    valuations of "pain" and "pleasure" emerge. Emotional injuries (as
    opposed to physical injuries) create a perception of pain that the
    psyche *does* remember because it is a purely psychic pain and there is
    no bodily mechanism to dull or transform this sort of pain.

    In other words, it is possible *for the mind* to transform "pain" into
    "pleasure" (or anywhere in between) and vise versa, in so far as the
    mind is what controls the interpretation of sensation. This is true for
    physical "pain" AND for emotional "pain".

    >> If the psychological reaction to the pain can be overcome, can the
    sensation of the pain itself be .. um, not lessened, not transformed,
    just ... disconnected. Still aware of it, not upset by it (not *me*).
    That would give a whole new dimension to the sensation of physical pain.
    Probably a lot easier to bear. <<

    Yes, on all counts. ANY sensation can be transformed or disconnected
    from / ignored. The Center of Stillness Meditation demonstrates a
    technique for accomplishing this.

    For example, take the sensation of a dull, prolonged muscle ache. Focus
    your whole attention upon the perception of this dull ache. Isolate
    just the sensation itself from all of the thoughts that arise in
    response to it and from all of the emotions that attach to those
    thoughts. Recognize it is just *a* sensation without any special
    significance.

    Now, to transform it into a different sensation, such as a relaxed
    warmth, you use your creative imagination and fill the raw,
    insignificant energy of the sensation with the *significance* of relaxed
    warmth. Recognize the sensation as being one of relaxed warmth.

    Alternately, to wipe the sensation from your field of perception (i.e.,
    to ignore it) all you have to do is move your *whole* attention to
    something else and focus it exclusively there.

    My best to you,
    :) Rawn Clark
    26 Apr 2003
    rawnclark@...
    rawn@...
    http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
    http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe

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