Other effective tools for pain relief include visualization, meditation, prayer, and chanting.
Each of these activities affect brain wave activity and facilitate altered or higher states of consciousness.
During my last blog, I spoke about physical pain and made an appeal for compassion toward pain sufferers. I also promised that I would share a couple of pain management techniques that have helped me. I didn’t expect it would be an entire week before I would be able to write again.
I should have known that if I was going to write about pain, the Universe would dish me out a bigger than usual dose, just so I would know what I was talking about. Last blog I spoke about neuropathy pain, but this is not my only source of chronic pain. I also have arthritis in both of my knees. To add to this, I injured my right knee about ten years ago. With a bit of physical therapy, the knee eventually healed well enough that I could hobble around pretty good with my cane. Until recently, I considered this my “bad knee.” Whenever there are barometric changes that precede a storm, or it gets very cold or windy, this knee has a tendency to “act up”, becoming very painful. My menstrual cycles are also accompanied by flare ups of pain. Fortunately, as I inch toward crone-hood, I have far fewer of these.
I recently injured my “good” knee. I’ve been giving it lots of rest, but instead of getting better, it seems to be getting worse! In fact, I feel as if I’ve started falling apart... I’ve had to rely more heavily on my cane and on my “bad” knee as I hobble around. This has enraged both the old injury in my “bad” knee, as well as reawakening the pain in my shoulder. Even my hand is becoming painful from grasping my cane. If I thought ambulation was painful before—now it is extremely painful as its next to impossible for me to stand, much less walk, without leaning on a cane!
I can use a wheelchair for most things during the day, but the doorways in my house are very narrow, so my use of a wheelchair is limited to my living room and kitchen. The short walk to my bathroom and bedroom has become very difficult. There have been days when this knee, along with the other areas it has begun to affect, has been so painful that there is not one comfortable position in which I can sit, stand, or lie. A few nights, I was even aware of the pain in my sleep!
When dealing with light to moderate pain, there are many effective measures I can rely upon. A few include smoking cannabis, which is proven effective in relief of pain, nausea and neurological issues, as well as a number of other conditions. I plan on writing a blog dedicated to the many, almost miraculous, healing properties of cannabis. Until then, let it just suffice it for me to say that it is a very effective pain deterrent. Other effective tools for pain relief include meditation, prayer, and chanting. Each of these activities affect brain wave activity and facilitate altered or higher states of consciousness.
Pain signals may also be interrupted by other stimuli such as rocking, bouncing, postural changes, bathing or showering, the application of heat or cold, effleurage (a very light touch massage technique), and deep tissue massage. Distraction techniques such as reading, knitting, watching TV, working a cross word puzzle, and other pleasant activities can also block out some of the bodies pain signals. These are probably some of the easiest methods of coping with minor pain. But when you can not escape from pain, even in your sleep, other measures may be required.
When I experience heavy pain, one of my most effective tools is to attain a deep, trace-like state of relaxation. Some readers may protest that its impossible to relax while in pain. I’ll give you that it is difficult, especially if you have not already practiced relaxation techniques. But if you totally relax your muscles so that you become floppy, like a rag doll, and breathe as if in a deep sleep, your ability to process and let go of pain will improve remarkably.
When I gave birth to my two sons, I rejected the huffing and puffing freight train antics of my friends who had used the Lamaze method. I found that relaxation alone was sufficient to cope with the discomforts of labor and birth. Now, before you just blow me off as being an easy birther, let me point out that I had my second baby at home with midwives. He was both posterior and had his head cocked to one side, with a hand and ear presenting. This was not an easy birth! Nevertheless, relaxation helped me transform the considerable pain of labor into a warm and interesting sensation that was no longer painful.
Of course, labor and birth are temporary events and their pain is transitory. When pain is long term, it is impossible to remain relaxed constantly. One can't engage in movement and physical activity and remain in a deep state of relaxation. For some of us pain sufferers, just walking to the end of our front walkways can be a physically demanding chore. Some things that are routine, every day tasks for normal healthy individuals, can be very daunting for us.
I hearken back several years to the time of my first knee injury. My ex husband had been gone a couple of years by then and I had thoroughly divorced myself from his Christian religious beliefs. When I first met him I self identified as a Witch, and he was a "backslidden" Christian. Shortly after I had our first child he returned to Christianity--and expected me to do the same. After years of not practicing, I no longer felt competent as a Witch. Plus there was a “religious” form of Witchcraft called "Wicca", that I wanted to learn more about. So I undertook coven training. Toward the end of my training period, I was expected to write and execute a solo ritual. If I failed, I would not receive initiation. Having freshly hurt my knee, I was experiencing great difficulty of movement. Even getting in and out of a vehicle was excruciating. So I had no idea how I was going to get through this necessary ordeal.
Those of you who have never cast a circle may not understand what a physical challenge this can be if you do not walk well. There is a fair amount of walking involved. The first step of casting a circle is doing blessings and cleansings. First, one blesses the elements at the altar, then they cleanse the ritual area. This involves navigating a nine foot circle three times around with each of the four elements represented. So I made three nine foot circuits while aspurging the area with salt and water. Next, three more circuits are made with fire and air (lit incense). Then the actual circle must be erected. Depending on circle call, this may require from one to three more circuits around the perimeter. Next, portals for the guardians of the watchtowers must be opened. As there are four Elementals, this required another four circuits. After this, it was back to the altar for Goddess and God calls. The circle in place and all participants present, it was then necessary to raise energy to accomplish our magical goal. After raising and dispatching energy, comes the blessing of the cakes and wine. The wine, and then the cakes, must be separately delivered around the circle and shared with each individual along with a blessing. After all this, I had to reverse all these steps—farewell to deity, navigation around the circle multiple times to dismiss the Elementals, and finally to open the circle.
I was on my feet for just over an hour and made at least 36 passes around the 9 foot perimeter of the circle. But that was only part of the challenge. You see, it is a requirement that a circle be cast without the use of mechanical aids. This can include anything from eye glasses to a cane, crutches, or any other aid to walking. One must also be free of any substances including medical cannabis, prescription pain relievers, or anything else that might reduce my pain level.
I greatly agonized on how to do this. During my quiet time just prior to circle, I went inward and sought the Goddess. I appealed to Her to help me step out of my human frailty. She invited me to rely on her strength and I envisioned Her wrapping a hooded cloak around my shoulders and head. This garment appeared to be made up of multiple twinkling stars, suns and planets. Clad as I was, my pain vanished. So did the weakness in my knee. Thus, I found the strength to do my first solo circle.
I have taken on the mantle of the Goddess several times since. Each time I do, I am always amazed at what a powerful, magical tool this is. Not only does it help me to temporarily get past my pain and physical challenges, it allows me to transcend physical reality and thereby do things that I know would otherwise be physically impossible for me. When times are tough, my pain seems unmanageable, and the road in front of me seems impossible, I find that when I reach beyond my ordinary human strength and seek the strength of the Goddess that lies within me, I can transcend the impossible.
I know the Goddess will not be everybody’s source of strength. Using guided visualization is not dependent upon the Goddess, She is just my chosen source of strength. I have helped others cope with their pain by altering the visualization to suit their spirituality. For instance, I’ve helped several Christians with a visualization in which I ask them to imagine their pain as angry red energy. As they breathe in, they visualize breathing in cooling and healing blue light. As they breathe out, they expel the angry red light. This exhaled negative energy is collected into a mental satchel, which they then place at the foot of the cross.
Inclusion of spiritual entities is not a prerequisite for using visualization as pain relief. One might also place their hands in a large bowl of water and visualize their pain being absorbed into the liquid. When done, immediately pour the negatively energized water outside onto the ground for the Earth to neutralize. If that is not an option, you may also pour it down the drain, or flush it down the toilet. Absolutely do not drink it, water plants with it, or recycle it!
I expect that many skeptically minded people might, at first question the validity of chanting, meditation, and visualization for pain relief. I don’t blame you, I too am a skeptic. But I’ve learned to keep an open mind about most things until I’ve studied and explored them.
I find there are reasonable explanations for most things. This includes visualization for pain control. Let me explain.
The brain is constructed, and functions, as two separate and distinct hemispheres. The left side of the brain is dominant as it governs logical brain functions and everyday activities.
The right half of the brain normally only comes into play during creative, artistic and musical pursuits, during REM sleep, while day dreaming, and during meditation, prayer and other spiritual pursuits. In fact, it even has filters that keep us from perceiving left brain activity!
Our brain functions at different levels of consciousness. The scientifically minded will prefer to refer to these levels as call "brain waves". Currently we know of five levels: Beta (14-40 Hz) is the every day level where we spend most of our waking hours. When we are at Beta level, the brain filters the information we receive. Alpha (7.5-14 Hz) is the level we function at during meditation, deep relaxation with eyes closed, and while day-dreaming. When we enter this state, we can consciously achieve a relaxed detached awareness that can greatly help cope with pain. 7.5 Hz lies at the base of our conscious awareness. This is the "gateway" between the conscious and subconscious mind. Heightened intuition occurs while in Alpha state and becomes "louder" and stronger the closer you get to 7.5 Hz. Theta (4-7.5 Hz) is the level we function at during deep meditation and REM sleep. This is the realm of the subconscious mind and is normally experienced only momentarily—as leave the Alpha state and drift off to sleep; and as you arise from a Delta level sleep or state. This is the level at which Astral Projection can occur. We experience a very strong sense of our deepest spiritual connection—the Oneness with the Universe. While in Theta, vivid visualizations, great inspiration, profound creativity, and exceptional insight occur. The mind's deep-seated programming can be accessed at Theta. Some people use hypnosis or entheogens (mushrooms, peyote, LSD, and other hallucinogens) in order to access this state. Delta (0.5-4 Hz) is the slowest level of mental functioning. We only attain Delta during deep, dreamless sleep, while under heavy anesthetics, or when in extremely deep states of trance or meditation. At this point awareness is completely detached from our individual ego or physicality. This is state the state of adepts who separate their minds from all bodily sensation of pain. Delta is the realm of the unconscious mind. It is also the gateway to the Universal mind and the collective unconscious. Information received here is inaccessible at the conscious level.
To sum it up, when at Beta level, left brain hemisphere operation, we are limited to self awareness. Here we are individual ego—a single, solid human being, separate from other beings, from the flow of the collective consciousness, and separate from any emanations of Deity such as Gods and Goddesses, I AM or whatever you perceive. But when we enter into deeper levels of consciousness, we bypass the governors of the left brain and loose our individuation. It is here that we are no longer “I”, but rather a cell in the matrix of the collective consciousness and the Life Force power of the Universe. Here, where we are "at one" with all that is, we can access the vast knowledge of the collective consciousness!
There is one additional level of consciousness that I haven’t yet addressed. That is Gamma (40+ Hz) This is the fastest level of brain wave activity and we know little about it, but Gamma waves seem to be associated with high level processing. Gamma is reportedly the level at which Kundalini awakening happens. The Gamma state is associated with those brilliant bursts of insight often associated with seeing a "flash of light". Other manifestations are possible. For instance, a friend who experienced sudden revelation while in Gamma heard a loud popping noise when having sudden brilliant insights.
When researchers measured the brainwaves of Tibetan Buddhist monks, their gamma wave frequencies fluctuated between 30 and 90 Hz. during meditation. The neurons in their brains fired in coherent synchronized patterns too perfectly timed to be controlled by normal neural processes, which are relatively slow. This leads some researches to suspect "non-local quantum effects", in other words thought transference. This suggests that at this level of brain function, thoughts could be received directly from a higher being! But I'm getting off my subject here!
I have used these techniques to cope with a prolonged period of very rough pain, but what I’ve experienced is nothing compared to the prolonged suffering of cancer and burn patients, victims of traumatic accidents, etc. I thank the Goddess everyday that my suffering is not of that caliber.
I certainly don’t have all the answers when it comes to pain and I don’t claim my few relaxation techniques will (immediately) work for everybody. Those adepts who are able to separate mind from body and block out all discomfort have spent countless hours attaining their special abilities. Unless you are a master of the arts, sometimes pain can become so severe that there is NO way around it except to resort to heavy medications.
If your pain need is so severe that you are not able to manage it through these few techniques, remain positive. Don’t ever feel like a failure because you must resort to chemical means of pain control. Our society’s attitude toward pain and relief of suffering lacks greatly in compassion because we are so overly concerned with drug addiction. Don’t let other’s negative judgments get you down. Pain is a terribly difficult burden to bear—you are not lazy and your pain is not your fault—but with a little effort you may learn to attain a state where you can find some comfort and relief. Be well!
Blessings and Peace,
Esmerelda
