The Phenomenology of Pain

Recently I was virtually bedridden for six weeks with severe back pain. Now that I am finding some relief, I’ve been reflecting on the phenomenology of this experience. My prolonged severe pain was a black hole at the center of my emotional experience, sucking into its darkness aspects of my engagement in the world.

An article by Jennifer Bullington (2009), drawing on the phenomenological philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, illuminates “how the experience of chronic pain ruptures the natural connection between body and world and how the [healing] process can be understood as the re-insertion of the body into the flow of experience … in order to allow the world to once again unfold. The experience of chronic pain places the painful body in focus, resulting in a diminished articulation of both self and world. Persons with illness suffer not only from the physical aspects of pain and discomfort but also from a loss of identity where one feels alienated and detached from things that used to give meaning to one’s life.” (p.100)

We engage in the world largely through our affect—our emotional states, such as desire and interest. Ordinarily, I am a foodie—I desire all manner of delicious food. During the six weeks in which I was bedridden with back pain, however, my desire for these gastronomic delights was nowhere to be found. Also, normally I am passionately interested in philosophy. During the six weeks in which I was homebound I could have read several philosophy books, but I had no interest in reading anything. Now that I am finding some relief from the pain, my desire for food and interest in philosophy have, thankfully, returned. I’ve even begun to write again, as shown by this blog post. I am reengaging with the world!

Reference

Bullington, J. (2009). Embodiment and Chronic Pain: Implications for Rehabilitation Practice. Health Care Anal., 17:100–109.

Copyright Robert Stolorow