“The idea that I can make my body do anything I really want it to do, such as making the pain go away completely, is a form of the myth of control, a childish belief in the omnipotence of what I want…”

….

In reality, there are limits to how the mind can influence pain, with mental distractions and emotional cues sometimes working temporarily, but not able to endure over long periods of time.  The truth is that distraction and emotion can help relieve any problem in the short term, not just pain.  A soldier on the front lines can temporarily forget about his divorce or financial problems or gonorrhea – at least while a hand grenade is being lobbed in his direction.

From All in My Head

I have often been told to meditate to learn to control my pain.  It doesn’t help.