= 27d567bc2d48d9f40e9ccc20ea370b15)
ChristianKl comments on Open thread, Oct. 19 - Oct. 25, 2015 - Less Wrong Discussion
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
= 783df68a0f980790206b9ea87794c5b6)
Loading…= b715d02e85f7b3b4ae65ca3d3e450868)
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Powered by Reddit
= f037147d6e6c911a85753b9abdedda8d)
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (198)
Dave Elman has a well known process for shutting down pain via hypnosis. I know two people face to face where I know they got their wisdom teeth drawn while shutting off the pain themselves via self-hypnosis.
In CFAR lingo, pain is a very strong signal from system 1 and the fact that system 2 thinks the pain is not useful doesn't mean that system 1 shuts it off. You actually need a very good relationship between the system 1 and system 2 to have that happen.
A good start for that is Gendlin's focusing. Listen to the uncomfortable feelings in your body to release them. As a beginner you likely won't release strong physical pain that way but lesser issues such as a headache can from time to time be released.
Move your locus of self to the afflicted space (it helps to close your eyes, and visualize moving your mind to the point; to practice this, if it comes difficult to you, close your eyes, and visualize flying around the room you're in); pain vanishes while you hold it there. Returns, slightly diminished, when you relax your focus. Once you get practiced, you can split your locus of self, and direct threads of attention/self onto painful areas, which diminish with the attention.
That's my description. Your internal descriptions may differ, and/or these instructions may not apply to you in any sense - the internal experience of a mind varies wildly from person to person.
What kind of results do you achieve with that strategy?
Pain in the area of focus fades or vanishes. I'm assuming, by the similar nature implicit between focusing on the pain, and "listening" to the uncomfortable feeling, that there's some kind of similar action taking place there.
What was the strongest pain to which you successfully applied the technique?
A hand I had accidentally dumped boiling liquid over, although the reduction in pain wasn't complete in that case, and it was difficult to maintain concentration. (I couldn't make my attention... large enough? To encompass the entire hand.)
I don't generally apply the technique, because it's usually counterproductive; the problem with pain is that it is distracting me from what I want to pay attention to, so giving it my full attention is just making the problem worse.
You mean you have to keep up the mental concentration to keep the pain reduction?
Yes.