Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

Schmeltz's picture

Mental Tweaking of CPGs

When we were talking about pain on Tuesday, and the fact that the child only cries after it has been pointed out to it that there is injury, I was not very convinced that the child did not experience some element of pain prior to the acknowledgment of injury.  I was thinking that if I sliced my finger open, I would totally feel it regardless of whether or not I actually saw the open wound occur and I would feel it regardless of whether or not someone pointed it out to me.  Well, I was proven wrong.  I went to the Gunks this weekend to do some bouldering.  I was working out this problem - one of two boulder projects I have.  The move requires holding on with both hands to a sharp edge, fully extending both arms, placing the right foot on a small foot hold and smearing the left foot on some slippery slab and then throwing the left arm up to this hold.  Well, I was doing this over and over again, sometimes sticking it, and during one of my successful attempts I tried to throw my right hand to match up to my left.  I got it, then fell, but I was quite pleased with myself.  I went to get some more chalk and then noticed my right hand was covered in blood.  Apparently, the sharp edge had caused a flapper - a piece of skin had been torn off my one of my fingers.  I thought it was weird I did not even feel it, then suddenly my finger hurt.  It is interesting that I did not feel pain until the blood and the concerned look on my friends' faces suggested to me that I should feel pain.  Further, at the end of the day, I noticed additional scrapes, bruises, blisters covering my body that caused me no pain what-so-ever during the day because I was so focused on my two projects that pain was unfelt or unobserved.  I think that is interesting.  Perhaps we can shut off pain with sharp focus or perhaps we are adjusting our nervous system's response to pain in order to stick all these ridiculous boulder moves.  However, there is a point where pain is obvious.  You break a limb, sprain something, etc. pain usually follows instantaneously.  Seems like maybe there is a set point for pain.

So, we have been speaking a lot about CPGs and movement.  We acknolwedged that CPGs may be tuned and adjusted both physically and mentally.  Well, I worked very hard to physically tweak my CPGs yesterday in my attempt to send a boulder problem, and it just did not happen.  It could be another I-function interference or perhaps more modification needs to occur.  I have a mental score of the moves I need to stick in order to send this boulder problem and I have been playing them in my head since yesterday.  I am wondering if this mental recall will assist me in anyway when I get back to the project this weekend. This is my test for the week - to see if I can mentally tweak my CPGs. 

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
2 + 5 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.