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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Something About Pain opus 910

1 August 2026 1107 Hours Anatomy, Behavior, Biology, Disability, Environment, Psychology, Science
Fortunately for me, I do not feel a great deal of pain.
Physical pain does not originate necessarily    
At the point of the wound,
Rather it is determined by the brain
Measuring the surrounding environmental conditions.
If the brain perceives an immanent danger,
The pain level can rise immensley.
If a person is mentally stable, 
The pain level could be almost nil..
An amputated limb, even though not there,
May cause decades of phantom pain.
Here, the brain is out of sync with the reality of 'no limb.'
Pain and pleasure are linked.  
Humans seek out voluntary suffering:
Eating burning spicy foods 
Or riding a terrifying roller coaster.
This is known as 'The Zen of Pain.'
The brain determines just how much pain one feels,
Based on perceiving a great threat or great danger.
Overactive pain pathways can be targeted 
With psychological methods.
Pain is constructed by the brain based on one's
Thoughts, stress levels, and one's total environment.
These certainly are things one should contemplate for life.