Pain is an intrinsic part of human existence, yet its complexity goes far beyond a simple reaction to injury. As Vsauce Kevin explains in his captivating analysis, the process of feeling pain involves multiple layers, from the sensory nerves that relay signals to the brain, to the intricate ways in which our minds process and interpret those signals. Understanding pain touches on science, philosophy and human experience.
How Pain Works: From Fire to The Brain
when Kevin puts out a match with his fingers, his body reacts almost instantaneously. The receptors in his skin send pain signals up his nerves at a speed of 10 feet per second. These signals travel to his spinal cord, where neurons relay the information to his brain. The brain interprets this as harmful stimuli, prompting Kevin to drop the match. This process aligns with Rene Descartes’ “Bell Ringer Theory” of pain, which likens pain to pulling on a rope that rings an alarm in the brain. The stronger the signal, the louder the pain.
But this theory has its limitations. Kevin contrasts his experience with the astonishing story of John Miston a Scottish farmer who cut of his own hand with a pocket knife and walked half a meal without feeling any pain. Mitson claimed that his survival instinct and logic overrode his pain response. If a person can perform such extreme actions pain-free, why does Kevin’s finger hurt so much from just a match. This raises questions about the variability in how pain is processed
The Puzzle of Pain
Pain, despite being the oldest feeling we possess, is often paradoxical. It predates love by millions of years, protecting us from harmful stimuli, yet it can also be an existential burden. C.S. Lewis describe pain as “God’s megaphone”, well Buddha considered life and pain in inseparable.
Kevin touches on the mystery of how some experiences that are painful to one person can be pleasurable to another, as well as the phenomenon of phantom limb pain, where individual feel pain in limbs that no longer exist. These complexities demonstrate that we still know little about how to manage pain effectively. We are in a constant battle to avoid or mitigate pain, from lifestyle changes to powerful medical interventions. Yet, as Kevin asks, if we could eliminate all pain what would remain of the human experience?
Pain As a Test of Humanity
pain may be more than just a survival mechanism- it could be what defines us as human. In Frank Herbert’s “Dune”, protagonist Paul Atreides undergoes a test where he places his hand in a box that inflicts unbearable pain. If he removes his hand, a poison-tipped needle will kill him. The test measures whether Paul can overcome his primal instinct to avoid pain, thereby proving his humanity. Kevin argues that this scene symbolizes the duality of pain -not just nature versus nurture, but nature versus torture.
Doctor Frank Vertastic suggests that plants do not feel pain because they lack behavior that needs to be modified. Simple organisms like worms, whose actions are pre-preprogrammed, also do not need pain as a teaching tool. However complex organisms like mammals require pain to survive. For example, a Caterpillar that loses a leg keeps moving without noticing, but a gorilla with a broken leg is at risk of dying in the wild.
The Evolution of Pain
our first experience with pain is birth. The human head is reshaped to fit through a birth canal that is too small causing pain for both mother and child. Evolutionarily, the severe pain of childbirth may encourage shorter labour.. Throughout history, various cultures have even intensified the pain of childbirth to speed up the process. The Cossacks of Central Asia held a mother’s hand to a flame during labour, while Klamath Indian mothers threatened their unborn babies with rattlesnake bites if they did not emerge.
Yet child birth is only a fraction of life’s pain. As our cognition evolved, so did our perception of pain, extending from physical harm to emotional suffering. We feel the pain of loss when a loved one dies, or the act of loneliness when relationships end. Even depression can manifest as physical pain in the body, demonstrating that mental and physical pain are deeply intertwined.
Pain: A Teacher and A Curse
The connection between pain and suffering has shaped human behavior for millennia. Pain teaches us what to avoid and how to adapt. as Kevin explains, the word “nervous” originally meant chords are sinew, but by the 1500s, it had come to represent energy and fortitude. Early anatomists like Herophilus dissected cadavers to explore how our nervous system transmits sensations, though a full understanding of the nervous system would not emerge until much later.
Pain is often associated with suffering, but it can also reveal strength. The fear of pain can be more terrifying than the pain itself, as shown by Jesus crucifixion. The pain inflicted during crucifixion was severe, particularly due to the damage done to the median nerve in the arms. Yet, Jesus’s true suffering began before the physical pain, in the agony in the Garden, where his dread of the impending pain caused him to sweat blood.
The Evolution of Pain Management
The quest to eliminate pain led to the development of anesthesia in the 1800s.Initially people would knock someone out or drag them before surgery, without knowing if the person would ever wake up. advances in pain relief came from unexpected places. Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen, synthesized nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in 1772, which was initially used recreationally before becoming a medical tool. Similarly, ether became popular at parties before its medical use was discovered.
Painkillers also evolved, with cocan derivatives like lidocaine and Novocain replacing the addictive drug in medical practice. Paracelsus introduced laudanum an opium extract that became a popular painkiller. By 1897, aspirin was developed, but it was not until the mid-20th century that modern pain management techniques began to emerge.
Pain And the Modern World
After World War II, pain management became a pressing issue. Millions of people were living with chronic pain from injuries, missing limbs and psychological trauma. Doctors like John Bunica, considered the founder of pain medicine, realized that pain was not just about physical injury. He observed that mood, emotional state and even cultural factors played a role in how pain was perceived. His experiences treating soldiers during the war, many of whom did not request painkillers despite severe injuries underscored the complexity of pain perception.
In the 1950s, medical practices were still crude. Some doctors used lobotomies to treat chronic pain by severing nerves, but many patients reported that while the pain remained, they no longer cared about it. The Pharmaceutical industry began flooding the market with strong pain medications, but these “don’t- give-a-damn” pills often wiped-out patients’ personalities leading to further complications.
Pain As a Subjective Experience
In 1965, Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall developed the Gate control theory of pain, which challenged Descartes’ simplistic bell ringer theory. They argued that pain is not a fixed response to injury, but a complex experience influenced by past events, expectations and culture. This theory came at a time when pain became a political issue. Welfare states were being established to support those in pain, raising questions about who deserves support and how to define legitimate pain.
The legal landscape shifted with cases like paige v. Celebrezze in 1963, which are recognized that if a patient perceives pain, it is real and entitles them to benefits. This ruling acknowledged the subjective nature of pain, but also complicated the role of doctors who had to assess whether a patient’s pain was genuine.
Pain And the Human Experience
As a science advances, we are left with the same questions about pain. Should childbirth be painful, or should we use epidurals? Does alleviating pain encourage dependency or is it necessary for survival? Humanities back pain is a result of evolving to walk upright, and child birth is painful because our brains have grown faster than our bodies can adapt. For 7,000,000 years, our ancestors endured pain without relief, but today, we have access to painkillers and treatments.
As a science advance, we are should childbirth be painful or should we use epidural, Yet we are still unsure of the role pain player plays in our lives. T.E. Lawrence famously extinguished a match with his fingers, declaring, “the trick is not minding that it hurts.” In the end, pain is not just a physical sensation-it is an emotion and a teacher, and a fundamental part of human experience.
By
Dr. Abid Hussain Nawaz, Ph.D. & Post Doc
Rumana Gull, Scholar Master of Philosophy Biological Sciences
Muhammad Mudassir, M.Phil. Scholar in Social Work
