Summary Of Pain: The Science Of Suffering

We are all taught that pain is a warning message, however, sometimes that voice is silenced in the heat of the moment. This book explores how the mind perceives discomfort. Philosophies from numerous doctors and scientists are included between the pages to offer another view on the inner workings of the human body. Many people imagine pain to work like a simple, signaling system. A body expects a certain injury to coincide with a fixed amount of pain which gets transmitted to the brain. However, this machine seems to be lacking in this sense. Pain involves a person’s state of mind, beliefs, and personal experiences. In this nonfiction novel, pain is suggested to be a matter of behavior. The way a human, or animal receives pain and deals with it depends on the individual. Some have a higher pain tolerance …show more content…
Evidence from past accounts of injured people being seemingly numb to pain until hours after their injury occurred. One man was even said to have his hand caught in a farming tool before he cut it off to release himself and brought his severed limb to a neighbor’s house to be sewn back on. Patrick Wall includes historical context to further this research. The past century of neurology have assigned areas of the brain for preparation and organization of how much pain one should feel when a certain even has occurred. There have been accounts of children born without the ability to sense pain. This may seem beneficial, however, this is a vital survival skill needed to keep the child safe. Patrick Wall’s theory, that the brain analyzes the input in terms of which reaction would be most appropriate. Another astonishing theory being explored in this novel is how people witness an agonizing action happen to someone close to them and feel pain themselves. Sympathy is not only emotional but physical as