We go through life with the knowledge that some things are inevitable. We are creatures of happiness, yet we will become sad. We yearn for wealth, though some will remain poor. We aspire for health, yet in time we will grow ill. If there is one certainty in life, it is that we will all experience pain.
When we reflect on this, we realise that pain takes many forms. There is physical pain—the aches and ailments we encounter in our bodies. There is also mental anguish—the weights and wranglings that confuse and torment us. To truly understand ourselves, we must consider both.
Neuroscience demonstrates that if we prick our finger, the pain signal travels from the site of injury, through the spinal cord, and toward the thalamus, situated near the centre of the brain. Depending on the nature of the pain, the thalamus then re-routes the signal to other regions, many of which are directly tied to our emotions. This shows that our feeling of pain is not just rooted in its physical source, but in the stimulation and interpretation that occurs in our minds.
This interpretation is not a simple, automatic process. If each of us pricked our finger in exactly the same way, we would not all experience the same level of pain. The mind plays a key role, and our emotions influence how pain is felt.
This leads to an important question: why do we feel pain in the finger and not in the brain where it is processed?
Philosopher John Searle suggests that pain is a labour of both mind and body. It is shaped by our perception and interpretation, explaining why we render pain differently even in identical circumstances. However, what if we reverse this perspective? What if the pain we experience mentally is passed onto our bodies?
Philosopher Alain de Botton, from the School of Life, has explored how mental angst often manifests physically. When we are stressed, our burdened minds may produce a tremor in the stomach, or a tightening in the chest. This occurs because we struggle to process what our minds are thinking, and instead, we suppress our feelings. In this way, the mind sends a clear message to the body that something is not right.
Pain, therefore, flows in both directions. Physical pain originates at its source, travelling to the brain where it is redirected to regions connected with emotion. At the same time, mental distress can find its way into the body, producing illness or discomfort as a signal demanding our attention.
To define pain, we can say it is an ailment that exemplifies our disorders not only of body, but also of mind. This does not mean all pain can be managed by mental means alone, but it does highlight that pain is not born solely of the body, nor is anguish confined only to the mind.
Instead, pain is part of a parallel system where mind is moulded with matter. In recognising this, we can form a relationship with our pain, understand what it is, and still prosper in life through it. This understanding allows us to see how pain shapes us: how aching bodies can leave us ill-tempered, how heavy moods can weigh down our physical form.
It is through pain that we realise our humanity. Yet, it is also through pain that we discover our resilience.
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