Pain perception, brain and consciousness

The brain-mind debate presents two principal streams of thought: materialist (brain and mind are different aspects of the same extremely complex "thing") and dualist (brain and mind are two independent things). Originating as a signal of damage transmitted to the thalamus, a warning message becomes perceived pain when the thalamus sends it to, and it is integrated by, the cerebral and cingulated cortices. In addition to various endogenous and exogenous physical factors that may affect (or even inhibit) the perception of pain, pain perception may be modulated, that is, enhanced or inhibited, by cognitive and emotive factors whose origins and existence are principal elements in the brain-mind debate. Studying the perception and modulation of pain provides an excellent heuristic model for studying the brain-mind debate and, in turn, an understanding of the brain-mind debate may offer new possibilities in pain therapy.