Reply to comment

If a sensation or a motion is caused by a pattern of activity across lots of output and input elements, does the "I-function" idea mean that our consciousness and self-awareness, "actions" of our mind are products of a pattern of activity across lots of output and input elements too? That there is a web of neuronal connections all relating to how we see ourselves that can be grouped together into a "box" called the I-function? What does that mean? Are all of our thoughts and feelings connected? I guess I still need some clarification.

One thing I thought was very interesting in class today was the idea that pain is a function of our brain. If pain is something our brain tells us we feel, are there ways we can tell our brain to not feel pain? Obviously some drugs can do this, but what about some sort of meditation, mental state sort of thing?I have had a sports injury for the past year and a half and it has more or less not gotten better at all. If there was a way to tell my brain not to feel pain, I would be able to play pain free! But, to be clear, I would not be healed. Pain is my brain telling me something is wrong with my body, so being able to block out those signals could do more harm than good. On another note, if there are rare cases of people in vegetative states where there is evidence of an active I-function, does this mean these people can feel pain?