The Perception of Pain
I have never met anyone who has not experienced pain, either physical or emotional. However, while pain is indeed universal, it is also highly individualized. While this individualized perception of physical pain makes some sense, it is harder to grasp the relationship between the emotional pain that a person experiences and the physical symptoms that the body produces in response to that emotional pain. This relationship is further complicated by the fact that these physical responses to emotional pain are highly individualized. Looking at the perception and interpretation of pain, both physical and emotional, helps to understand the degree to which each nervous system is unique as well as the interconnectedness between the body and the mind.