• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Pain gene

The boy lived in Lahore and was well known to the medical authorities in the city because he would come to the clinic asking to be patched up after his street performances. To earn money he would pass knives through his arms and walk on burning coals without feeling pain.
Click to expand...

At first I thought that the scientists were taken in by carnie tricks but then...

Several had inadvertently bitten off the tips of their tongues in infancy.
Click to expand...

Ouch?
 
We live in fascinating times. We should be pouring in like 10,000 times greater amount of resources into this type (biomedical) research.
 
Such a person could make for a horrific torturer...

"AAAH!"

"Sheesh stop screaming. I don't see why pain is such a big deal to you people."
 
Dark Jaguar said:
Such a person could make for a horrific torturer...

"AAAH!"

"Sheesh stop screaming. I don't see why pain is such a big deal to you people."
Click to expand...
Police: Homicide. That man was noogied to DEATH.

Also: Think of all the dangerous activities that we survived in childhood only because we feel pain.

I mean, why stick just ONE crayon up your nose? There's like 20 in a box...
 
fowlsound said:
Why is this in R&P?

Seems more suited to Science subforum...
Click to expand...
The OP mentions unitary consciousness' modularity. So far discussion has been preoccupied by the nature of the pain gene itself and speculation on its scientific repercussions.

However, the t-ball is just sitting there, if you want to take a whack at it. Here, I'll start.

Paul, do you feel like pain reception is intrinsically necessary to retain a model of unitary consciousness?
 
Invidious said:
The OP mentions unitary consciousness' modularity. So far discussion has been preoccupied by the nature of the pain gene itself and speculation on its scientific repercussions.
Click to expand...

fair enough, I blame the lack of coffee this morning for my denseness. :)
 
The perception of pain is extremly interesting. The article linked in the OP points to evidence for a genetic basis for the perception of pain, but genetics certainly aren't the only factor in that perception. There's an interesting book by Paul W. Brand called Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants. Its author worked in India for some time with victims of Hansen's disease (often known as "leprosy"). He recounts horrific stories about these patients. Their lack of pain perception allows them to do things like: reaching into flames to retrieve dropped food; walking on (and further damaging) broken legs; and sleeping through rat attacks. In addition to victims of Hansen's disease, Diabetics sometimes suffer similar lack of pain perception.
 
Last edited:
Invidious said:
Paul, do you feel like pain reception is intrinsically necessary to retain a model of unitary consciousness?
Click to expand...
I think that certain forms of idealism and dualism become increasingly difficult to justify as we find that the brain functions we call "consciousness" are highly modular, distinct, separately cancellable, and so forth. You have to maintain that consciousness is a unitary entity that is filtered by the brain in a discrete fashion, so that certain aspects of it can disappear while other aspects remain.

Under idealism, the brain itself is just a manifestation of mind, yet it can filter out parts of mind. What does that even mean?

~~ Paul
 
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos said:
Under idealism, the brain itself is just a manifestation of mind, yet it can filter out parts of mind. What does that even mean?
Click to expand...

If you're of the woo persuasion it means there are probably loads of other bits of the mind that we could tap into, if our brains can shut off the 'pain' bit why can't we switch on the 'telepathy' bit - or even build something to allow it?
 
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos said:
A gene that governs the perception of pain:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/14/news/pain.php

Yet another case where our supposedly unitary "consciousness" turns out to be modular.

~~ Paul
Click to expand...

I've heard of other cases where individuals were born without the ability to feel pain*; it's actually quite a horrible affliction whether due to birth defect or disease such as leprosy. Children born without the ability to sense pain often die quite young. Interesting to hear they've tracked down a gene for it.

I don't know what you mean by the unitary "consciousness" turns out to be modular. comment though.


* "The Gift of Pain " by Paul Brand makes for interesting reading.
 
Beth said:
I don't know what you mean by the unitary "consciousness" turns out to be modular. comment though.
Click to expand...
It sounds like what he is saying is that, assuming pain reception is one aspect of our consciousness (our mind), what then does it mean when an aspect of our consciousness can be switched off? Further, what does it mean when that aspect's modularity is being controlled by the physical brain, not the mind? It seems, at least circumstantially, to be evidence in disfavor of dualism.

Did I get that right, Paul?
 
Invidious said:
It sounds like what he is saying is that, assuming pain reception is one aspect of our consciousness (our mind), what then does it mean when an aspect of our consciousness can be switched off? Further, what does it mean when that aspect's modularity is being controlled by the physical brain, not the mind? It seems, at least circumstantially, to be evidence in disfavor of dualism.
Click to expand...
Actually, more against idealism than dualism. I suppose dualists could simply say that a physical thing can block a mental thing. Idealists have to say that a manifestation of mind (DNA, brain) can cancel certain aspects of consciousness.

~~ Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom