Beyond Physical Sensations: How Emotions & Cognition Affect Pain
Building on Descartes' example, the boy's pain is not just an injury-alarm. It is part of a broader defence mechanism aiming to shield him from danger.
The emotional centre of his brain greatly shapes how he perceives the heat.
Survival tools that rapidly infuse sensations with a sense of threat, making him instinctively retreat before he is even conscious of the danger.
Next, his cognition assembles his perception of the situation.
Building on Varela, Thompson, and Rosch's “enaction” in “The Embodied Mind,” our cognition is deeply tied to our physical experiences, just as clenching a fist when angry shows the unity of mind and body.
Many brain centres collaborate to assess threats, merging memories, thoughts, bodily interactions, and emotions into emergent awareness.
His brain then decides how to respond, including if, and how intensely, the boy should feel pain.
When protection is deemed vital, his brain assembles conscious pain and then amplifies it, thrusting intense discomfort into the foreground of his attention.
Making the boy aware he is burned and compelling him to escape.
Conscious experiences are assembled from diverse non-conscious ingredients. For instance, past encounters or learned fears can make an arachnophobe panic at a harmless spider, while positive memories can lead to food preferences. Similarly, the boy's quick escape from the heat is not just about the painful sensation—its emotional weight and cognitive concern prompt him to flee swiftly. This underscores the multifaceted nature of pain from a biopsychosocial perspective.
This principle holds true for various manifestations of pain, which can feel dramatically different depending on the context and emotional state of the individual.
Consider running a marathon: how would the experience differ if someone was fit, motivated and energetic compared to tired, unfit, and hungry? Or between a veteran and a novice? Supported by loved ones or dissuaded by naysayers? Afforded rest and water or forced to endure without? Sensory experiences are subjective. Even though science can accurately measure the distance of a marathon, just as we can visualise physical injuries in detail through medical imaging, our internal state shapes how we perceive and experience these events.
Therefore, managing pain requires a holistic approach, addressing not just physical symptoms but also emotional and cognitive well-being. By nurturing these aspects, we can better handle pain and prevent it from evolving into prolonged suffering.
