Why do I feel pain?

[BGen]

Pain pushes us forward. Whether we feel depressed, empty or confused, all bad feelings appear in order to make us think about their reason and purpose.

In our world, we see only the outward shell of reality. We do not see what is hidden behind nature, society, a person or the cosmos, and we cannot control any of them.

As with embroidery, the links and threads traversing all the parts of the picture can only be seen on the reverse side. Likewise, we do not see the connections between events in our reality; we only see that "something suddenly happened for some reason."

How can I know the consequences of my actions? All of a sudden, I suffer a blow and I do not understand why it happened or where it came from. "Where did I go wrong?" "What did I do to deserve this?" And even "What's the point of it all?"

Anyone can interpret the reason for their own pain and the pains of others however they see fit. But everyone agrees that pain makes us think about its purpose and its cause, which in the view of Kabbalah, is one and the same.

The science of Kabbalah states that there is only one reason for all pain-to make us ask about its meaning. We can then use these questions to raise us from the level of our earthly existence, where the causes are hidden, to a higher level of existence, where the reason for the pain is revealed.

The science of Kabbalah grants us this opportunity: to discover that there is a source to life-the Upper Light, the Creator-and to attain adhesion with this source. Such questions about the source of pain, the purpose of suffering, and the meaning of life bring a person to Kabbalah.

---
"Only a life lived for others is worth living" ~ Einstein http://www.kabbalah.info

[Pincho Paxton]

Pain is a difficult one to answer. Obviously we need to get our hand away from the fire. Maybe if the pain suddenly stopped when we take it away, we might put it back again. But my favourite oppinion of pain is that it is a reminder when we get to Heaven not to dare do anything that might have you sent back to Earth.

[truth_justice]

Here is my attempt:

One feels pain so that one can feel pleasure and vise versa. Yet pain has a more specific function. Namely, pain preserves the body. For example, if your hand is near a hot object, pain will send a signal to your brain, at which point you are likely to move your hand away.

Additionally, if something is wrong with your body, pain often indicates which part of your body is malfunctioning.

I hope this is the type of answer you are looking for. Your question can also be interpreted more philosophically to mean something along the lines of: "Why is pain among the feelings a human being feels? Couldn't God leave pain out all together?"

If that is what you meant to ask, my answer to you is this: I don't know.
I would be more interested in the answers to "Why am I here?, Where is here? & What am I?" than "Why pain?".

[nitty-gritty]

Isn't it the same as if asking: why pleasure? ...Or happiness?

[Pincho Paxton]

Isn't it the same as if asking: why pleasure? ...Or happiness?

No, because it is more like saying "why is the world cruel?"

[tek0]

Forgot where I read it at but it was something like this:

"Pain is natures way of telling us we are being stupid"

Makes sense for most forms of pain people feel aside from the pain we feel from others stupidity beating out our own stupidity in making us feel pain.

[JohnChasWebb]

Pain pushes us forward. Whether we feel depressed, empty or confused, all bad feelings appear in order to make us think about their reason and purpose.
In our world, we see only the outward shell of reality. We do not see what is hidden behind nature, society, a person or the cosmos, and we cannot control any of them.
As with embroidery, the links and threads traversing all the parts of the picture can only be seen on the reverse side. Likewise, we do not see the connections between events in our reality; we only see that "something suddenly happened for some reason."
How can I know the consequences of my actions? All of a sudden, I suffer a blow and I do not understand why it happened or where it came from. "Where did I go wrong?" "What did I do to deserve this?" And even "What's the point of it all?"
Anyone can interpret the reason for their own pain and the pains of others however they see fit. But everyone agrees that pain makes us think about its purpose and its cause, which in the view of Kabbalah, is one and the same.
The science of Kabbalah states that there is only one reason for all pain-to make us ask about its meaning. We can then use these questions to raise us from the level of our earthly existence, where the causes are hidden, to a higher level of existence, where the reason for the pain is revealed.
The science of Kabbalah grants us this opportunity: to discover that there is a source to life-the Upper Light, the Creator-and to attain adhesion with this source. Such questions about the source of pain, the purpose of suffering, and the meaning of life bring a person to Kabbalah.

Usually pain is an indication of 'error'. The 'error' can be attachment, incorrect activity, or the return of the results of past actions or inactions that are out of alignment with proper conduct.
Pain is a teacher or perhaps a disciplinarian. Pain informs us of the existence of error.
The pain can be physical, mental (e.g. anguish, oppression, etc.) or emotional. Regardless of the symptoms of pain the message is an indication of somehow being out of alignment with 'natural law'.

[Dan Rowden]

Pain pushes us forward. Whether we feel depressed, empty or confused, all bad feelings appear in order to make us think about their reason and purpose.

This is false. Pain doesn't have any such purpose. It's simply a consequence of certain facts of psychology. Whether we do learn something from it depends entirely on our disposition. Mostly we try to merely escape it rather than understand it.

Is it ignorant to suffer? - A Genius News Discussion

[divine focus]

Mostly we try to merely escape it rather than understand it.

That is true, but only because we don't pay attention to ourselves. The pain exists not just "because." The reason may not always be intellectualized, but a lot of times it isn't necessary.

[Lolcat]

Well, you see, whenever you touch an object whose temperature is lesser than or greater than the ambient temperature of the current biohabitation (a living room/laboratory/lavoratory (Bathroom, for all you non-intellectuals) the nerves on the appendage in question send electrical synapses to the Ferrata Oblongata Gallica Fidelis. Otherwise known as the (you're all fucking morons) pain center of the brain.

It is through these synapsi that the Jews; in their inherent quest to collect all of the worlds riches and hoarde it in their palaces built far below the Earth's crust in the Subterreane (or "Jew Cave" as some have dubbed it) finally make their move. They travel at the speed of Jew Light (Roughly two times the speed of our regular light, as we all know Jews reside on a separate plane of existence ("The Jew-osphere" or "Jew-Globe" or "Seattle"))

Also, maybe there is no philosophical reason for feeling pain and you all simply over-analyze the simple facts of life. Things that are encoded in our DNA since the dawn of time and which we would be long extinct without. Pain is pain. To think about it as something other than a sensation that says "YOU ASSHOLE, GET YOUR GOD DAMNED HAND OFFA THAT HOT PLATE. CHA-RIST!" and then smacks you in the marbles until you wise up and stop maiming yourself. There is no hidden psychological meaning behind why we feel pain. It's a synapse that occurs in our body much like those that tell our heart to beat and our lungs to breath and our legs to move. Had we never felt pain, the planet would be run by 80-foot icthyosaurs made of diamonds and other such precious gemstones. And through their wise counsel we would build them monuments, thousands of miles high, visible from space, and they would shoot fire and lasers, like those obelisks from Command and Conquer; we would simply be a race of the perfect slaves which knew no pain - and by extension, fear. Their civilizations would tower above the now empty seabeds, thousands of worlds would lay conquered, burning with the intensity of 1,000 suns, as the pyres of the fallen illuminated the atmosphere with the crimson glow of a fresh conquest, and those still quelled stared in silent requiem as our Icthyosaur Overlords tore down the old and brough with them a new, Golden Age of prosperity.


Dangit.

[Trevor Salyzyn]

Lolcat,

is no hidden psychological meaning behind why we feel pain. It's a synapse that occurs in our body much like those that tell our heart to beat and our lungs to breath and our legs to move.

Your explanation is more complicated than the question. I don't think you've got a good handle on this issue.

[ChaoticMelody]

Here is my attempt:

One feels pain so that one can feel pleasure and vise versa. Yet pain has a more specific function. Namely, pain preserves the body. For example, if your hand is near a hot object, pain will send a signal to your brain, at which point you are likely to move your hand away.

Additionally, if something is wrong with your body, pain often indicates which part of your body is malfunctioning.

I hope this is the type of answer you are looking for. Your question can also be interpreted more philosophically to mean something along the lines of: "Why is pain among the feelings a human being feels? Couldn't God leave pain out all together?"

If that is what you meant to ask, my answer to you is this: I don't know.
I would be more interested in the answers to "Why am I here?, Where is here? & What am I?" than "Why pain?".

What he said ^

Without pain we would have nothing to compare pleasure to.

[Jason]

Without pain we would have nothing to compare pleasure to.

Maybe I'm taking you out of context, but why don't we compare/contrast pleasure against the visual sensation of blue? I'm not so sure that apparently conceptual opposites like pain and pleasure faithfully map to the actual neurological and physiological systems that are the cause of the actual experiences and sensations. If, for the sake of illustration, dopamine creates pleasure, does merely the lack of dopamine create what we know as pain? Or is it another very different chemical and neurostransmitter dance that is responsible? From what I've read, and I'm no expert, things like pain and pleasure are more likely to be quite different and complex actions at the physiological level, rather than simple yin/yan opposites. I'm not trying to make ironclad statement of fact here, just exploring what is an interesting area. Whatever the case it could have a large impact on things like the Hedonistic Imperative and Abolitionism.

[Dan Rowden]

I imagine he's simply talking about the sensations we place in those categories. In other words, can we comprehend the meaning of the concept "pain" without the contrast of "pleasure"? But your point is an interesting one. Pleasure and pain needn't be polarized things, need they? Perhaps instead of pleasure we could contrast pain to a simple state of its absence? But then we have the point that part of the definition of pain might be: "absence of pleasure" and of pleasure: "absence of pain". So, for example, a simple, tranquil state might be described as pleasurable precisely because it doesn't involve pain.

Similarly, if a person isn't unhappy, does that make then happy?

[Jason]

I imagine he's simply talking about the sensations we place in those categories. In other words, can we comprehend the meaning of the concept "pain" without the contrast of "pleasure"? But your point is an interesting one. Pleasure and pain needn't be polarized things, need they? Perhaps instead of pleasure we could contrast pain to a simple state of its absence? But then we have the point that part of the definition of pain might be: "absence of pleasure" and of pleasure: "absence of pain". So, for example, a simple, tranquil state might be described as pleasurable precisely because it doesn't involve pain.

Similarly, if a person isn't unhappy, does that make then happy?

You seem to be talking about redefining and contrasting words and concepts, pointers, and while what you've said is true I'm more interested in exploring the need, or lack of need, of contrast between the actual sensations and experiences of pain and pleasure.

[Jason]

I've just been reading about temperature perception in humans. Apparently different receptors in the skin are responsible for heat and cold sensing. So even though hot and cold sensations may seem like they are on a single continuum conceptually, at the physical level level they could possibly be quite different and isolated. It might therefore be possible for example to remove all ability to feel cold while still retaining the ability to feel heat.