Pain disappears or transforms when given full undivided non-strategic attention

[Guest guest]

> Read my words a little more carefully...

> I said, " no *time* for 'I am feeling pain' " .

> The *thought* " I am feeling pain " requires time.

> I did not say there is no pain.

 

> But even pain is much different when there is complete

> presence, complete acute awareness. It would seem

> that would just make it worse. But the opposite is

> the case.

 

> Bill

 

Hi Bill,

 

I remember as a kid, maybe 10 or so, going down into my

grandfather's basement where he had all kinds of woodworking and other

tools. One of them was a large vice attached to the end of a bench he'd

built. I loved the aroma of wood, sawdust, linseed oil, etc.

 

One day, out of curiosity, I put my left hand into the vice up to

the second knuckles and began tightening the vice by slowly turning the

handle. At a certain *point*, pain began to set in. I continued to turn

the handle to increase the intensity of the pain, stopping short of

doing any damage however. I recall trying three " experiments " relative

to the *pain " . The first was to " complain " about it mentally, even " out

loud " by verbally saying such things as " This hurts. Damn, it hurts. I

wish this would go away. I can't stand it. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! " , and so

on.

 

The second experiment was to stop complaining and simply, calmly think

of it as or name it " pain " and " this hurts " .

 

The third was to *feel into it* as if I didn't know what it was. As if

it were a " brand new " experience. And this made all the difference in

the world!

 

I noticed that in the 1st experiment, the " pain " was most intense and

grew more so the more I indulged in complaining and fighting it. In the

2nd experiment, it was more " tolerable " and subdued that in the first.

Whereas in the 3rd experiement, when feeling it without memory or

strategy, by inquiring *into* it from/with a " don't know " position, it

was almost as if the pain completely disappeared and " just mere

sensation " was present, which was neither pleasurable nor painful. Of

course, I've always been a bit *odd*. :-) Caution: Humans! Do not

try this experiment at home without an adult being present...should you

be fortunate enough to come across or know a true adult, that is! :-)

 

Michael