The Mystery of Pain - Essay Example

"The Mystery of Pain" Introduction Motor operations are integrated with the perception, a sensory stimulation. Human brain gets easily adapted to the surrounding conditions; by producing simple illusions, regular sensory connections could be altered. The fundamental is exploited in the experiments performed in the videos displaying “rubber hand illusion” and "virtual reality for soldier's burn pain". Consequently, an understanding is developed towards visual perception to eliminate pain in case of "virtual reality for soldier's burn pain".

On the other hand a correlation was perceived connecting the ocular and physical sensory stimulus producing proprioceptive illusion in case of “rubber hand illusion” explaining the sense felt exactly at the individual’s real arm was communicated to the rubber arm (Botvinick, 1998). Rehabilitation trouble could be reduced if methods like virtual reality are adapted as in the case of "virtual reality for soldier's burn pain" where the patient's brain is diverted by means of cool virtual reality game, providing a sense of chill rather than heat of the pain.

This alters the perception of sensory stimulation. In future the technique could gain advantage as it has potentials to calibrate neurons not to have sensation of pain. When human mind perceives the thought of suffering, pain is felt, eventually this very thought leads to enhanced discomfort and the individual recedes from cure because of distress. On the other hand animals do the reverse, they heal their injuries in a natural way. Thus, psychological focus plays an imperative role in sensing pain.

It is established fact "little knowledge is dangerous". A person who himself is a physician knows the intensity of injury and is bound to feel more pain as compared to the individual who does not possess sound medical knowledge, if both encounters the same degree of injury. Here again psychology plays the key role. A real life example was seen when my father who is not a physician and my brother who is a physician met with the accident, when the bike skid down on the curved road. Both of them got severely injured.

The intensity of pain felt by my brother was more as compared to my father. My brother applied all his medical knowledge in defining the pain along with the repercussions of injury and what impact the injury could have on his leg movements; on the other hand my father was quite cool as for him it was a kind of normal injury, consequently my father recovered faster than my brother. The incidence highlights that psychology plays a crucial role in feeling pain. If an individual is cool, relaxed and unfocused or preoccupied with other tasks the sensation of pain vanishes, but if focus is constantly on sufferings, agony and pain the sensation of pain gets intensified.

Placebos are medical intrusions, they are given only to provide a perception of real treatment. Placebo normally works well and are capable of improving medical conditions. They are normally given as control treatments, but are capable of inducing positive healing. It is again a psychological impact that is provided to the ailing individual. Conclusion The two experiments namely rubber hand illusion” and "virtual reality for soldier's burn pain" imply that human perception plays a vital role in defining the pain and sufferings.

If brain and sensory stimulus are deflected the sensation of pain could be evaded. The experiments further paves the way for the exploitation of such experiments on the treatment of pain and its management through this "magic" means instead of medications. References Botvinick, M., Cohen, J. "Rubber hands 'feel' touch that eyes see". Nature 391, 756. 1998.