Summary Of Pain: The Science Of Suffering
Pain: The Science of Suffering by Patrick Wall is a factual book that refutes the popular notion that pain is only a warning signal to danger and can be accurately measured. Wall first begins by giving anecdotes as examples to prove pain can be a paradox. For example, a soldier will not feel pain after being injured during combat despite being consciously aware of it and Ronald Reagan who was unaware of being shot in the chest contradicts the purpose of pain: to warn the beholder of threats. Wall also explains the feelings that describe pain, such as rasping, tugging, and stinging, and the feelings and symptoms that ensue excruciating experiences such as depression, malaise, and fatigue. An anecdote Wall explains is of a man who fatally crashed
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Despite breaking his bones during the crash, he did not feel the pain nor the anxiety that was present among his peers. It was not until he was being transported into the hospital when he experienced the first shot of pain. Pain at the moment of danger would not have benefited the man from surviving, so the body turned off its pain receptors until he was in safety. In contrast to the man, pain to Patrick Wall also informs the body of danger, such as when one touches a hot surface and the body’s natural tendency is to draw away from the heat source. Pain also keeps organisms alive by haltering them from entering further danger. For example, a soldier who is injured during combat can be healed and survive the war compared to another who dies on the field. Pain is also a subjective experience and no two person may experience the same operation or injury exactly the same. This is because cultural expectations, social expectations, and personal endurance all play together to determine the intensity of an experience. Culture may influence the amount of pain experienced and perceived in situations such as childbirth. A women in Kenya calmly delivers a child while an European women may scream. This difference is present not because Kenyan
Despite breaking his bones during the crash, he did not feel the pain nor the anxiety that was present among his peers. It was not until he was being transported into the hospital when he experienced the first shot of pain. Pain at the moment of danger would not have benefited the man from surviving, so the body turned off its pain receptors until he was in safety. In contrast to the man, pain to Patrick Wall also informs the body of danger, such as when one touches a hot surface and the body’s natural tendency is to draw away from the heat source. Pain also keeps organisms alive by haltering them from entering further danger. For example, a soldier who is injured during combat can be healed and survive the war compared to another who dies on the field. Pain is also a subjective experience and no two person may experience the same operation or injury exactly the same. This is because cultural expectations, social expectations, and personal endurance all play together to determine the intensity of an experience. Culture may influence the amount of pain experienced and perceived in situations such as childbirth. A women in Kenya calmly delivers a child while an European women may scream. This difference is present not because Kenyan