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Sensation and Pain
Let me start by saying that I have replied in threads before where it was asked if the Arahant still feels pain; if he still itches; if he still finds irritation in bodily sensation. Not knowing for sure, but applying common sense, I stated my opinion that the fully enlightened human still feels these sensations, but as sensations; they attach no emotional value. They itch, but feel no compulsion to scratch.
That was my assessment based on textual readings, my own reason and common sense. Tonight, I found some verification of this.
I was laying in bed and my leg was itchy. My usual reaction is to scratch, but tonight I applied mindfulness. I focused upon the itching in its entirety, and this phenomena for me changed from an irritation to a mere sensation. With sustained mindfulness, it quickly became a "background" sensation, and then was gone.
My hypothesis on how this actually works may or may not accord with reality, but it is a hypothesis. I'm thinking at this moment that we simply do not understand how our minds are geared to react to these sensations. It seems to me that the body, or the mind on behalf of the body, is expectant only of acknowledgment of the nerve impulses. Not necessarily physical reaction. To bring the sensation under analysis through mindfulness is that acknowledgment, and can in some cases remove the need to react physically.
Like I said, just a hypothesis.
Yet, I decided to test. I caused myself physical pain by pinching down on my hand... hard. I applied mindfulness in the same fashion, and in the same fashion the "pain" became mere sensation. I was aware of it in its entirety, but had no jerk-reaction to stop; a measure of control had been established (of course control is an illusion, but you know what I mean). The sensation this time did not go away, likely because it was a sustained force I applied, unlike the itching which probably went away on its own.
Thoughts?
~
That was my assessment based on textual readings, my own reason and common sense. Tonight, I found some verification of this.
I was laying in bed and my leg was itchy. My usual reaction is to scratch, but tonight I applied mindfulness. I focused upon the itching in its entirety, and this phenomena for me changed from an irritation to a mere sensation. With sustained mindfulness, it quickly became a "background" sensation, and then was gone.
My hypothesis on how this actually works may or may not accord with reality, but it is a hypothesis. I'm thinking at this moment that we simply do not understand how our minds are geared to react to these sensations. It seems to me that the body, or the mind on behalf of the body, is expectant only of acknowledgment of the nerve impulses. Not necessarily physical reaction. To bring the sensation under analysis through mindfulness is that acknowledgment, and can in some cases remove the need to react physically.
Like I said, just a hypothesis.
Yet, I decided to test. I caused myself physical pain by pinching down on my hand... hard. I applied mindfulness in the same fashion, and in the same fashion the "pain" became mere sensation. I was aware of it in its entirety, but had no jerk-reaction to stop; a measure of control had been established (of course control is an illusion, but you know what I mean). The sensation this time did not go away, likely because it was a sustained force I applied, unlike the itching which probably went away on its own.
Thoughts?
~
0
Comments
Figured out that there is no pain, only electric signals sent to your brain as a way for your body to warn you that there is something that may require your attention.
that if there is nothing that require your attention, or if there is nothing you can do about it, then the electric signal can be observed.
I was a little weird and ended up putting a lighter underneath my forearm to see if i could just observe without reacting. (i still have the scar today)
Sometime after i had the idea that perhaps he
was telling the world about this.