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Caroline Wright's picture

Re: Mind Over Matter

As we have talked about in class there are of course innumerable differences in the brain structure of individuals. Differences in ability, personality, thinking techniques, strengths and weaknesses. It makes sense that there would be differences in tolerence of pain and the power of the mind over the body as well. In this case I am using "the mind" as the conscious thought aspect of the brain. Its also probably a matter of practice. In the case of people who learn to meditate and can lower their heartrate to unheard of levels, they can control they're body with their mind, but it takes practice. This is the case with many reflexes in the body, such as the Patellar Tendon reflex for an easy example. While you doctor is talking to you while you are at your appointment it is much easier for them to get a good reflex from you, however if you are concentrating on controlling the movement of you leg then you can inhibit the norma response. Likewise, when you get shots of blood drawn, often the doctor will talk to you and distract you. This causes a level of distraction that decreases the attention of hte patient away from the area, causing them less pain. This power of distraction could be harnessed by any individual on their own, and therefor increase their tolerence. And I just lost my train of thought becuase I've been rambling. In a last word, yes, I think Emily Dickinson would say that these differences are also simply a product of the brain. We are products of the brain, so anyhting we think/say/do/feel is a product of that same brain. 

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