Pain Means Protection, Not Damage: Tissue Damage Is Not Needed to Feel Pain
Through millions of years of evolution, complex brains developed the ability to anticipate and manage energy needs before they arise, a process called allostasis.
The boy's survival instincts enable him to swiftly detect and respond to threats like intense heat.
Just as skills like art or tennis improve with practice, chronic pain can also be learned through repetition.
Every painful exposure to fire conditions his nervous system, making it more sensitive and hypervigilant over time.
This strengthens the association between extreme thermal energy and pain.
It also re-wires his nervous system by ingraining the memory of each event, such as his actions, surroundings, and any other sensory cues.
This process sensitises his nervous system, turning his pain volume up to enhance his instinct to avoid fire.
Allostasis increases his survival odds by serving as an early warning system, conserving energy by triggering pain before real harm occurs.
