Pain is an output of our brain and I have a story about it.
My son was about two or three years old when I suddenly heard him scream as if he were in terrible pain. I rushed to him, heart pounding, expecting to find a serious injury. He was sitting at the table, surrounded by his felt-tip pens, completely distraught. At first glance, I couldn’t see what could possibly be wrong. Then he held up his little index finger. There it was—a single red mark running along the side. My immediate thought was that he had somehow cut himself.
I scooped him up, ready to comfort and inspect the wound. But when I looked closer, I realised something surprising: the “scratch” was actually a line of red ink from his pen. There was no blood, no broken skin, just colour. Within seconds of telling him that, the tears stopped. He blinked, looked at his finger again, and, satisfied, went right back to his drawing as if nothing had happened.
So what really happened?
Dr. Lorimer Moseley, a neuroscientist, explains that pain is not produced by our tissues but by our brain. It’s a protective mechanism—our brain’s way of saying, “Something might be wrong, pay attention!” His fascinating TED Talk, “Why Things Hurt,” explores this beautifully and humorously, showing how perception and context can completely change how we experience pain.
Related articles:
The day I saw myself in the mirror
Why does it hurt – a simple explanation of chronic pain
