Meditation and Pain Perception

Abstract

Meditation can be practiced in order to help person being mindful - having Sati – while facing physical pain. Practicing mindfulness meditation – Vipassana meditation/ Satipatthana - helps person know pain characteristics clearly and reduce pain intensity. Using mindfulness for considering the reality of pain and understand the nature of pain, which stands within The Three Common Characteristics principle (Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta). Whereas concentration meditation - Samatha meditation - helps person to feel peaceful, when practice Samatha meditation until the mind is still, painful feeling can be reduced by distraction effect. There were several research results supported the effects of Vipassana and Samatha meditation on reducing pain perception. Hence, when persons’ minds are still they can perceive and cope with painfulness more effectively. Practicing meditation help people perceived and cope with painfulness better. It also help people understand the nature of painful, which occur, exist, and distinguish by its causes and related factors. Acceptance and cope with painful without adding other feeling, help people feel peaceful even the pain is still going on.