Pain vs. the Idea of Pain

The mind, being everywhere, is non-local, and through the process of attention we localize it. So if we want something to become our life experience, we put our attention on it. If we don’t want something to become our life experience, we take our attention away from it. In fact, the whole mechanics of creation is just that: a certain quality of attention of the self to itself.

Whatever you put your attention on grows stronger in your life. When people experience pain, they try to avoid it or they want to escape from it. And the more they try to do that, the more their attention is on the idea of pain. The idea of pain gets magnified, and of course that creates more pain.

So if you have a headache and you want to get rid of it, then simply be with the headache; be with the pain. Don’t analyze, don’t interpret, and don’t try to judge the pain. Feel the sensation with your full awareness. Put your attention on the sensation, and you’ll see that it dissipates.

Pure consciousness is a healing force, so when you put your attention on the sensation, consciousness gets into it and saturates it with the healing force of life. If, however, you put your attention on the idea of pain, then the pain will become more pronounced.

Adapted from Power, Freedom and Grace by Deepak Chopra (Amber-Allen Publishing Inc., 2006).

Read more: Spirit, Deepak Chopra's Tips, headache, pain

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Danuta W.

12:17AM PDT on May 26, 2012

Thanks for the information!

send a green star

Elaine A.

9:17AM PDT on May 15, 2012

What exactly are you saying? Meaning psycho- somatic as opposed to real pain? A very grievous mistake that many Dr.s of the male persuasion contend when dealing with female patients!

Jane B.

6:30PM PDT on May 14, 2012

I KNEW IT! Pain is all in the MIND!!! Alert the MEDIA!!! Make Big Pharma throw all their drugs
in the ocean. Alert Rush Limpdick! Tell the anesthesiologists to get a REAL job, those fakes.

J.L. A.

8:05AM PDT on May 14, 2012

so when people are required to track their pain (e.g., every 15 min.) they are likely to experience it more and more intensely...

Patricia H.

3:59AM PDT on May 3, 2012

thanks for sharing

12:02PM PDT on Apr 30, 2012

Michelle Bachmann had migraines that disabled her for three days. What did she do wrong?

Did she NOT:?
"put your attention on the sensation, consciousness gets into it and saturates it with the healing force of life."

Or did GOD/JESUS/ALLAH just PUNISH her for GAY BASHING?

10:29PM PDT on Apr 29, 2012

"If, however, you put your attention on the idea of pain, then the pain will become more pronounced."

Sooo...I guess pain killers are now obsolete? We can just wish it away? I have found that my subconscious mind is "aware" of low grade pain no matter what my cortical lobe thinks about and it wakes me up out of a sound sleep.

"Pure consciousness is a healing force."

This sounds like mind over matter. Will this put Big Pharma out of business?