Uncomfortable becomes comfortable
mockeymind
Veteran
HI to all - I wanted to get some input on the idea of pain management and mindfulness. I happened to have an injury and prescribe medication for pain management- while one meditation session pain arises and derailed my mind away from mindfulness. Instead of stoping - I noticed that the mind put more focused on sensation - fuelling more, feeding it.
An old drama talk came into my mind that reminds about acknowledging pain, not preventing, not to dislike - just accept the experience without judgement, just to watch it - to look closely. When I became just an observer - the sensation isn't that much painful. It was the mind that makes it worst. Anybody experienced observing pain as just an experience? Did it really reduced the pain or it is just the mind. Thanks.
Comments
@mockeymind
Your post is a good description of the potential difference in a Buddhist practice between pain and suffering.
When pain leads to sufferingr..and when it does not.
Isn't suffering simply the (strong) dislike of pain?
I think all you need to do is to re-read some of the comments in this thread to know that others have indeed put this practice in to action.... And now you have too.....
Thanks for linking in that thread. Good read.
My friend just forward this link - its quite informative.
http://palousemindfulness.com/docs/buddhism-pain.pdf
No
As someone who has had to suffer severe pain, and tried several meditative techniques - I have come to understand pain is pain, and meditation does not help that kind of severe pain... and yes you can talk about distraction as a diversionary tactic, but physical pain, remains pain...
the article posted by mockeymind is really aimed at the emotional response to emotional stress that is construed as pain, but in my opinion is not really neurological pain, and in my opinion I believe that the recent and overwhelming adoption into mainstream conscious ideology of mindfulness practices (particularly in the corporate environment) as the 'new psych-medicine' needs to be properly evaluated. Right now there are too many people ready to jump up on the band wagon and take your money for nothing and give tricks for free! Obviously there are those who practice consciensiousy, but most don't
I am happy to take you for a mindful walk in the park for half an hour - first session is free, after that you need to set up a direct debit for £60/hour.
For further details please contact me at the following address:
Anataman
343 Little Drive
Knotcoping
London
UK
my teacher said that taking pain as an object of meditation can make you notice it more as compared to the common strategy of distracting oneself. so meditation cannot trick pain into leaving by observing pain. it is like meditating on a zit and expecting the zit to disappear haha! If you meditate on a pain even a zit you will notice it more and you might be better off distracting yourself.
What meditation can do is bring enough attention to notice the difference between the pain itself and the thought process. The thought process is just thoughts and that is the kerosene that can be thrown on the fire of the pain. You might think: "i can't take this"..."it will never stop"... "my life sucks because of this pain"... and many other thoughts.
Meditation is about noticing thinking and what is here. If pain is here you cannot make the pain vanish like a trick. You can notice that thoughts are just thoughts and dissempower them.