People often think of experiencing pain as a “subjective” issue. However, recent research into the
experience of pain indicates that it is like other sensory modalities, such as seeing, hearing,
smelling, and tasting. For example, in actually seeing (visualizing) things, we used to think that it
simply meant the back of our brain would be involved, so we never thought of it as “subjective”,
because we all know that when we see something, it is very real. But, vision is now known to
involve about 32 different brain areas, with each area contributing a different quality to vision.
Well, the same kind of brain function is now known to be involved in a pain experience, whether it
be acute or chronic pain. In fact, there are about 16-18 areas of the brain involved, and 6-8 of
those areas overlap with cognition (thinking and judgement), emotions, and memory. All of these
areas contribute different qualities to the experience of pain.
This PowerPoint is designed to demonstrate that the experience of pain
is really objective, not subjective, and the fact that each person’s pain experience is unique
depends on which brain areas are functioning properly or improperly. The experience doesn’t
depend on “what someone makes of it”, but rather what someone makes of the pain experience is
dependent of what contribution each area of the brain provides in strength to the entire
experience. And the level of contribution of different brain areas is also determined at the “root
cause” level by how efficiently the oxidative reduction system is functioning within each area. The
oxidative reduction system is influenced by any type of Oxidative Stress within each brain cell of
each area needed to be part of a painful experience. Hence, I believe that pain is as real and as
objective as any other brain-related function.
The understanding that Oxidative Stress is part of the root control system in our brain function,
allows for us to look toward newer and more effective treatments, whether they be energy related,
anti-inflammatory related, etc. Things like photodynamic therapy with lasers, chemicals such as
methylene blue, organic supplements such as Curcumin, chlorophyllin, high grade fish oil, and
vitamins such as B2 (riboflavin), Vit D, and Vit C have been shown to all have a healing effect on a
stressed out oxidative reduction system, including that within our brain.
View Dr. Ray’s PowerPoint: Is Pain Objective?