I think that is reasonable as an analogy, when talking about existential pain--the broken heart, the agony of grief.
Because for simple mechanical pain, as in "I cut my finger", we understand how that works pretty well via sensory neurons called nociceptors that send a simple chemical signal in response to a physical stimulus.
But the ache of loss, like the joy of love--I agree that is much harder to define and probably must be experienced to be understood. I don't think any simple mechano-sensory pathway can approach these Great Feelings in intensity or how we experience it.
So, while love, loss, and faith probably all ultimately result from the complexities in our brain, they aren't simple mechanical circuits. And some people are simply unable to experience them.
I think that is reasonable as an analogy, when talking about existential pain--the broken heart, the agony of grief.
ReplyDeleteBecause for simple mechanical pain, as in "I cut my finger", we understand how that works pretty well via sensory neurons called nociceptors that send a simple chemical signal in response to a physical stimulus.
But the ache of loss, like the joy of love--I agree that is much harder to define and probably must be experienced to be understood. I don't think any simple mechano-sensory pathway can approach these Great Feelings in intensity or how we experience it.
So, while love, loss, and faith probably all ultimately result from the complexities in our brain, they aren't simple mechanical circuits. And some people are simply unable to experience them.