The Pain

Nearly twenty years ago, when I experienced depression, I often described it, like others, as a constant, diffuse physical pain caused by a feeling of emptiness in my chest. This painful sensation remains difficult to explain because it isn't associated with a specific organ or nerve that can be numbed, and appears to originate, until proven otherwise, in the mental realm.

However, one doesn't need to reach a state of depression to experience emotional pain that, at times, resembles physical pain so closely that some individuals resort to self-infliction to materialize what cannot otherwise be expressed.

Well-being, or the absence of pain, is our normal condition, and naturally, we strive to maintain it, whether by avoiding harmful causes or restoring balance as quickly as possible by any means available. Yet, deep and prolonged pain prompts us to question the very meaning of our existence, whether our own or that of another, and is therefore often at the center of philosophical debate.

As I discuss in my book The Singular Life and the Triangle of Illusions, our brain functions like a powerful calculator designed to ensure our survival and, whenever possible, our well-being. Physical pain, signaled by our nerves, demands an immediate solution. If the intensity remains unbearable and without relief, the "calculator" spins until you faint, or, without going to that extreme, thoughts about this seemingly insurmountable problem invade our mind. The pain then transforms into suffering, i.e., into a virtual, mental form that constantly reminds us that the problem persists. And since we have the ability to remember the past and project into the future, this immaterial form can draw on what no longer exists or has yet to occur.

But let's return to pain itself, which is part of our vital experience. As I've stated elsewhere, living in the present is inseparable from having unconditional love for one’s own life and, consequently, for our own pains as they arise. Thus, “living in the present” is not just a trendy mantra, but quite the opposite: it is a state of mind achieved through discipline, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, and kindness, allowing us to live peacefully, free from illusions. Very often, the first obstacle on the spiritual path is pain, as it manifests as a piece of hell while we seek paradise.

The Pointfulness philosophy addresses pain as it truly is: very real, but also as a powerful generator of illusions that can intensify and magnify it with suffering. Promises to reduce or eliminate pain are the most compelling sales pitches, especially if they are easy and free. There are thousands of websites and recipes dedicated to all sorts of ailments, known and even imagined. Pointfulness, through the deconstruction of illusions, attempts to return pain to the perceived reality of life, accepting it as it is and not as what we make of it. Only in this way will it be possible to accept it unconditionally in the present moment and not mentally flee from it down paths of illusions.