What constitutes pain? Comment on 'Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective' by Franco Fabbro and Cristiano Crescentini

摘要

In their thought provoking perspective article, Fabbro and Crescentini [1] review the neuropsychological mechanisms of pain, encompassing physical and psychological pain. An underlying assumption of the article is that experiences, ranging from physical pain to the feelings that accompany thoughts of one's own death, can all be subsumed under the banner of pain. While Fabbro and Crescentini are certainly not alone in amalgamating these diverse experiences, I would argue that it is not pain that binds them, but rather suffering.