About this episode

The episode explores the complex relationship between the mind and the experience of pain, featuring insights from psychologist Rachel Zoffness.

Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel Zoffness says our minds play a much larger role in our experience of pain than many of us realize. This week, we look at what's really happening when we experience pain, and how a better understanding of this process can open up new possibilities for treatment and healing.

People in this episode

Host: Shankar Vedantam

Guest: Rachel Zoffness

Topics covered

• pain
• psychology
• treatment
• healing
• mind-body connection

Keywords

• pain
• psychology
• treatment
• healing
• mind-body connection
• Rachel Zoffness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hidden Brain

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