The Creativity Perspective on Pain

A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2005 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

 
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Within the creativity perspective, pain is a gift. It is not seen as a gift because the gift that it possess lies at the energetic level before the pain manifests as an experience pain. It is something which must be understood and can play an important role in our creative endeavors. To many, that does not seem possible given how painful and debilitating pain can be. But pain is something we need to creatively learn to use. To use pain we need to work at the unseen and energetic level. It us to work at the deepest levels of our being with those conditions which give rise to painful experiences.

A painful condition is like any other experience we have. We create it. Accessing the gift inherent in pain is not about creating pain as some traditions have recommended in the past. Rather it is about understanding and using the information within any physical or non physical pain that arises in our creative endeavors and our life is one such creative endeavor.  It is not that we intentionally going out and create pain. It is about using what is created and what the pain reveals about how we are focusing our attention and awareness to create what we do. So the question which quickly arise is “What needs to be understood about pain and the experience of pain to understand how to use the gift that it is?”

Pain is not a subject that will adequately be covered in a short discussion as provided on this web site. It is a subject that is too deep and too broad to fully explore here. However, an extensive discussion is not needed to access and use the gift inherent in pain. What is provided here is a perspective and some understanding of how to use the pain that arises in your creative endeavors what every they may be, including the life you are creating and the pain you experience in life.

Two notes need to be made here before moving on. One note is for those who suffer great physical and/or non physical pain and/or are currently in pain. What is discussed here may seem very detached from the reality you experience. However, if you use the understanding provided here and consult your intuition about the nature of your pain and its origins, you will find you get answers. You can also ask your intuitive guidance as to what you can do to help alleviate your pain to complement what you think and are advised by others to do

In following your intuition to address the root cause of your pain, you may get spontaneous relief from your pain. However, most probably, you will have to act to undo the conditions which created the painful situation. Or, you will have to allow the energy that has already been committed to the experience you face to flow to dissipation. As introduced under the topic the “Creativity Perspective on Health and Related Topics,” the pain may be the result of an experience that is judged as an unhealthy experience that you have created for one reason and another. The painful condition you experience may be the vehicle you use to get something else you desire and/or it may be simply a byproduct of the condition you desired to experience. So either the conditions that created the painful experience you have will need to be changed or you when you achieve what you desire the pain will leave. Unfortunately, everyone’s pain is ultimately unique and you will have to learn to use your unique experience of pain. No one can do that for you. .

The second note is there is no suggestion or recommendation here that you do not act to mitigate or alleviate the pain you may be experiencing. Do what you think you need to do. However, ask your intuitive guidance, “From where does this pain arise - what is it that I can do?” Listen to what answer is given and pull the string on the answer given until you know exactly where it comes from. As discussed in the topic “Creativity Perspective on Health and Related Topics,” how much outside assistance you need will depend on the how strongly you are identifying with the human condition.

Pain is a phenomenon that has a great influence on our creative power and creative ability. It impacts in several different ways and at several different levels. It is probably one of the most misunderstood phenomenon that is experienced by humanity and probably the greatest issue we face that can limit and control our creativity.

As we are all aware, pain in many ways is a problem. But it is a problem not for the reasons that most individuals think. If pain wasn’t actually so painful, people might consider it the gift that it is. Probably most feel pain is a problem because it hurts and they don’t want it so they try and do everything they can to get rid of it or remove it. In this regard, pain is an exceptional catalyst for action. The problem with pain, even though it is painful, is that we really don’t understand it nor do we use it as constructively as we can. When used properly, it is actually a teacher for there are realizations in pain and pain can awaken consciousness. It can bring us to the awareness of how we are creating our experiences we have. Because pain is a path to realization, many in the past have created traditions in the past that have been a misapplication of pain. Some of these approaches still exist and are used today. You need to be aware that there is no need to create pain nor utilize a discipline that promotes pain. There are gentler and easier ways to obtain any realization that through pain.

As a starting point for understanding pain in your creative endeavors, what happens is that the pain becomes the catalyst for action and/or creation. Often it is the fuel of our creative endeavors that propels us forward for the duration of our journey. In pain, one moves to becomes the creator. It motivates one to create something different than what is. In this regard, the problem with pain is that we really don’t understand how it has fueled Creation, fueled our creation, nor do we use it as effectively in creation. Pain is a gift at two levels. The first level is that it warns us of harm. But at a deeper level, it awaken our consciousness to the world we have created. Pain will awaken you to who and what you really are if you are willing to face it.

What exactly is pain? Pain is one of those words that has a dictionary definition. But it will have as many definitions as there are people.  Often what is painful for one is not necessarily painful to another. Because of the construct of our bodies, some forms of pain border on pleasure. For some, they indulge in pain for the pleasure that can be had. That in turn introduces a whole new aspect to pain and the pain pleasure cycle.

The typical definition of pain really does little to clarify what we consider painful but does show the variation as to what we consider pain. On the physical level, pain is seen as an unpleasant or undesirable sensation or feeling that results from, or accompanies, some injury, over strain, or obstruction of our physical ability or powers. Emotionally it is perceived as any distressing or afflicting emotion. In general pain is seen as the care, trouble, effort or exertion expended on anything. Incomplete as they are, these definitions of pain do suggest there are two types of pain. One type of pain is physical pain related to our physical condition and abilities. The other is a non physical pain based more on our mind’s interpretation of what we experience. That is, what we find distressing, troubling, or an exertion. Here again, what is troubling and exerting to me may not be for you. As for physical pain, most of us can agree on what is painful. Yet, there are also great variations.

If we learn to understand pain and explore the origins of our pain at the deepest inner levels we will begin to understand why we are creating the experiences we have. In doing so we will begin to be able to use the gift of pain and use pain as the messenger that it is. However, most often pain is the gift that nobody wants simply because its painful.

Although pain is not inherent to the creative process, it is integrally tied to the creative process as performed by humans because of how we create our experiences. Pain and the creative process are related in several several different ways.

The primary way pain and the creative process are coupled is through attachments. It is the conflict and tension in attachments that is the ultimate root of pain. To avoid creating pain we must learn to let go as we move through the creative process. Yet some of our attachments are so deep and convoluted that we have lost the origins of our pain. If we pull the string and explore the root of our attachments we may find within our pain is a pearl that when accessed may even be experienced as the euphoric experience of the kundalini rising.

It is probably hard for most to see and believe our mental attachments can result in the intense physical pain and suffering many experience. This is especially true when we can point to a cause for our physical pain and addressing that cause removes our pain. However, if you explore how our thoughts get manifested into physical manifestation, you can being to see who our attachments are what create our pain. Here again, this is not something that can be address in this short discussion but the applications web sites can provide much information to understand how this is possible. Of course, if you are interested, you can do your own experiments and observations.

A second way pain is connected to the creative process is creativity takes us into the unknown. To enter unknown we must stretch ourselves and our thinking. We must stretch it to move past our limits and what we think and believe if not transcend them. This is the equivalent to saying we have to step out of mind. Stepping out of mind can be frightening. But besides stepping past our limits and barriers, the unknown offers the possibility of pain. We know life has its pains. We assume the future will have more of the same and many are afraid of creating more pain that they have now. Hence the pain of the past causes fear to arise. There is a level of fear that can arise about the pain we think we will experience. Our first response is often to act to avoid the pain whether or not is it real or an illusionary perceived pain created by our fears. However, that creates the condition for more pain in two ways.

One way is if will give into the fear. That fear will rob us of our creative power and creative ability. Responding to the fear rather than the true hazards, causes us to respond in way such that fear limits our creative power by curtaining our actions in those areas. For many of us, rather than facing the true hazard, we allow fear to rule and then wonder way we cannot create a way to remove our pain. Or, why we cannot create the pleasure we seek. If we do not allow ourselves to act because we fear pain we also cannot step out to create pleasure for we do not know which the unknown will give us. In essence, we creatively paralyze ourselves.

The other reason is responding to what we think will happen is an attachment to the past. It is our attachments that cause our pain in the creative process. As said above, some of our attachments are so deep we have lost the origins of our pain. Often we are not aware where we allow the past to rule our lives.

One of the more important realizations you can have about pain is that pain is our unique experience and it is incumbent on each of us to explore where its origins lie within our being. No one can do that for us. As you explore the origins of your pain, you will move into the depth of your being. In fact, you will find pain is an indulgence of self, not self indulgence, but an acknowledgment of the self/Self as a unique entity. In exploring how pain is an indulgence of the self one can being to understand how the pain which gives rise to addictions can be so difficult to address.

The ultimate lesson in pain is that we are identifying with our creations rather than with the creator that we are. Our creations gives us our identity as a creator but we are not the creation. We are which lies behind what we create. In understanding pain we can understand how to free ourselves from pain and we can begin to move beyond pain. We can move to obtain true freedom for our creative spirit to create the seed for our next creation in freedom and to become aware of pain inherent in awareness and compassion that keep many away from seeing our true interconnectedness.

Topics on Pain

 
Pain
Creating Pain
The gift of pain
Understanding pain
Lost origins of pain
Ultimate root of pain
Realizations from pain
Ultimate lesson in pain
Pain of stretching who we are
The precious pearl within pain
Pain to awaken consciousness
The pain of birthing a new creation
Pain, fear and the avoidance of pain
Pain inherent in awareness and compassion
Origins of pain - pain and the creative process
Facing the fire of pain and moving beyond pain
The misapplication of pain - pain versus discipline
Pain and the indulgence of self the basis of addiction
Using our unique experience of pain, accident, illness and disease
Pain, ego and attachment - creating the seed for the next creation
The ultimate pain we face - an ongoing issue for the Creator/creator

Internal hyperlinks

Gift of pain

From a creativity perspective, pain is a gift at two levels. The first level is a messenger that it warns us of harm. But at a deeper level, it awakens our consciousness to the world we have created and in which we have placed ourselves which may not be serving our best interests.

The greatest issue faced by human

Pain, and it earliest manifestation as a discomfort, is probably the greatest issue faced by humanity. If you looked for one single issue that underlies all action of humanity it is probably pain, and to a lesser extent discomfort, and the avoidance of pain/discomfort. Because of the nature of the human body, if the body’s needs are not met and not fulfilled, they eventually become painful. We seek those body needs for their own value. But we also seek them to avoid pain and feelings of discomfort that arise when they are not met. In addition to being a catalyst to act to meet our physical needs, there are spiritual, emotional and mental needs which must be met. The psychological/emotional pain of not having what one wants has driven men and women across the globe in search of fulfillment and has lead to numerous scientific discoveries. Pain has fueled medical science in it attempts to help heal the body conditions that give rise to pain. It has also it has sent individual after individual on an inner and outer journey in search of higher truths and to explore the nature of God to alleviate the non physical pain of inner longing that many experience. However you look at it, pain is a catalyst to act. Pain, and the ability to feel, is the door way into the unknown of our own being. It is a catalyst to step through that doorway into the unknown to explore the cause behind what we feel.

Pain and the construct of our bodies

The way our physical bodies are constructed, physical pain uses the same system as any physical sensation. Any physical sensation we feel is generated is through a sensor in the body. There is a sensor in the tissue of the body and a transmission line to the brain. The sensor generates an electrical signal based on what is sense. That signal is then is transmitted to brain and interpreted by the brain. To effective understand what we sense and we experience as feeling in the body, the sensor must work, the transmission line must work, and the brain must be able to properly characterize what is sensed. Often the brain does not have the requisite set of minimum experience to properly characterize the experience we have. Much of our early life is spend learning to interpret these signals as to what is painful and what is pleasurable.

Because both pleasure and pain arise out of what we sense, there are forms of pleasure border on being painful and some pain moves into the realm of pleasure. One point does need to be noted here is a very slow and gradual change often moves past the protection offered by pain.

With properly functioning pain sensors, probably no one would step into a tub of hot water hot enough to be cooked in the water. However, people have been know to fall asleep in a hot tub and literally become cooked as the temperature of the water slowly rises as happen in Marin County, California in the early 1970's. Quite simply the change in thermal temperature was gradual enough that the pain sensor did not register pain or there was not a significant enough change to be interpreted as pain in any one moment for the brain to experience pain and awaken the individual.

There are often events we experience in our life that tend to do this. Then we awaken to the situation at had and find ourselves in a very painful situation. Many relationship are like this. They start out fine but slowly pain enters the relationship and then one day we awaken to find the ourselves in pain and we don’t know how we got there.

Pain-pleasure cycle

To any sensation of pain or pleasure, there is an aspect to the experience that can become a cyclic pattern. For the pain or pleasure sensation, there is a rise in intensity of what you feel to give the sensation of pain or pleasure. Then as the sensation is removed, the pain or pleasure decreases. However, if one strongly attaches to the pleasure one feels, as the sensation causing the pleasure is removed, one may feel pain. Similarly, if one strongly reject pain, as the sensation causing the pain is removed, one may feel pleasure. Hence there is a cyclic aspect to the rise and fall of pleasure and plain.

Our problem arises as result of this phenomenon in two ways. One is when we seek one over the other rather than understanding how they are relate and how we are not allowing the ourselves to experience the full cycle. The energy of any experience must be fully dissipated if it is going to be available for a new creation. If we jump in and exert a preference, in really we are not allowing the totally creative energy giving rise to the experience to fully dissipate. That in turn causes us to bind our creative energy such that it is not free to create another experience.

The second issue is that when the sensation first starts we do not always know whether it will be painful or pleasurable. Some experiences have an uncanny way of not truly revealing their full nature until they become intense. So, if we fear pain, we will turn off such experiences long before they become intense. However, in doing so we also deny the pleasure that is possible. Or, if we fear intense feeling of pleasure because their absence is experienced as pain, we will terminate the pleasure long before they become intense. In doing this we do not allow the range of possibilities to exist. Also, in turn, we do not allow the creative energy to flow to dissipation and again, bind and block the energy rendering it unavailable to create another experience.

Pain is a messenger

Pain is a messenger that warns us that harm is being done or potentially being done at some level of being. It tells us that we are attached to something and that attachment is limiting and confining our freedom of movement. It is only a warning that something is potentially harmful to our being. Ultimately the pain can be related to the fact we are approaching the limit of endurance of a truth of our being.

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