PLEASURE AND PAIN
One of the first things Living Things had to figure out was how to appropriately respond to stimuli. Some stimuli indicated a beneficial circumstance, while others suggested the presence of something detrimental. Being able to make these distinctions and then appropriately respond was a major evolutionary leap forward and is associated with the Creation Archetype. We experience this most foundational form of cognition, which we share with all animals, and perhaps in some form with all Living Things, as pleasure and pain. It is interesting to notice how far from our conscious control, and how intrinsic to our neurological core these sensations are.
/PLEASURE
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PAIN
Pain is one of the most ancient forms of cognition we experience. It is a fully non-conscious, automated response that directs our actions away from a noxious stimulus or adapts our behavior in response to a wound or injury. As we are conscious creatures, we need to be aware of pain so that it informs our conscious choices, but consciousness (Self-awareness) is not required for the pain to perform its essential role within our systems. It is, therefore, like hunger, thirst and our sex drive, a window into how non-self-aware animals successfully navigate their native environments.
SUFFERING
Pain is a signal directing our actions away from noxious stimuli. When the option to act in a way that alleviates the pain is not available we experience suffering, where we experience the stimulus but are incapable of responding. This situation is, in essence, an evolutionary dead-end, expressing an insufficiency in our adaptive capacity.
MANAGING PAIN
Managing pain can be a significant issue for many people. This writer is recommending this product as a non-invasive way to manage pain:
KIALO PAIN PATCH
META READING
A discussion on the cognitive mechanisms employed by our species:
COGNITION AND THE EVOLVING BRAIN
A discussion on our Neurological Core
THE NEUROLOGICAL CORE
A discussion on our core structural attributes:
THE FOUR CORES
A discussion on the models for our species presented on this website
EVOLUTIONARY PARADIGMS