“Researchers at Harvard University have discovered that our experience of pain depends on whether we think someone caused the pain intentionally. In their study, participants who believed they were getting an electrical shock from another person on purpose, rather than accidentally, rated the very same shock as more painful. Participants seemed to get used to shocks that were delivered unintentionally, but those given on purpose had a fresh sting every time.” - Science Daily
The results of the study are quite interesting. A slap in the face does indeed hurt more if it’s from a friend in an actual example of “mind over body.” Our bodies are so conditioned by the psyche that how we physically respond to a situation mirrors our emotional defense mechanisms. Context, meaning and intent all factor into human perceptions of physical pain, just as they often do when evaluating other problems or pain we face in life.
Props to science that actually helps us understand how our physical and emotional responses coexist.
