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Pathways from Pain to Meaning

Short Thoughts on Pain in History and Personal Development

Paperback
November 2024
9781782509202
More details
  • Publisher
    Floris Books
  • Published
    19th November
  • ISBN 9781782509202
  • Language English
  • Pages 128 pp.
  • Size 5.5" x 8.5"
$19.99

“We are all concerned with living on earth and carrying out the immense task of pouring pain—pouring love—through this star until it becomes transparent, permeated by our spoken and unspoken word—this secret writing with which we make an invisible universe readable for a divine eye.” — Nelly Sachs (1891–1970)

People today strive to live life as free of pain as possible, treating both physical pain and emotional suffering with a range of medical and other types of therapies. In our efforts to avoid pain, however, are we ignoring an important aspect of our human experience?

In this sensitive and thoughtful book, psychologist Iris Paxino explores various kinds of pain and the ways each can affect us—from the physical pain of illness and injury through emotional suffering caused by loss and deprivation to the spiritual pain experienced in moments of doubt and we struggle with the meaning of our lives.

Paxino also discusses the history of pain and the effects of chronic pain, as well as treatment methods that include behavioral techniques and anthroposophic therapies based on spiritual science.

Whereas pain should always be treated in some way, Paxino insists that when we learn to accept it as an inescapable part of human existence, we develop resilience and inner peace and compassion for others.

This sympathetic and enlightening book will be of interest and useful to anyone who wishes to explore the significance of pain in human experience and what may be learned from it.

C O N T E N T S:

Introduction: The Experience of Pain

1. Pain in Antiquity: Inseparable from Life
2. Pain and Christianity: Redemption through Suffering
3. Pain in Modern Times: In Pursuit of a Pain-free Life
4. The Language of Pain: The Struggle to Find Expression
5. Pain and Consciousness: Awareness of Our Limitations
6. Physical Pain: Illness and Injury
7. Emotional Pain: Loss and Deprivation
8. Spiritual Pain: The Absence of Meaning
9. Living with Pain: Understanding Its Message
10. Chronic Pain: The Embodiment of Trauma
11. Therapeutic Approaches to Chronic Pain: Gaining Sovereignty
12. Pain Management: A Positive Quality of Life
13. Anthroposophic Therapies: Understanding the Whole Human Being

Conclusion: Pain and Meaning

Endnotes
Bibliography

Iris Paxino

Iris Paxino was born in Bucharest in 1970 and grew up in Romania, Greece, and Germany. She studied psychology, literature, and education in Stuttgart and Tübingen and completed her doctorate on near-death experiences. She runs a psychological and biographical counselling service in Stuttgart and gives lectures and courses on anthroposophically oriented psychology. Her book Leben mit dem Schmerz (Living with pain) appeared in 2009, followed by Bridges between Life and Death (Floris Books, 2021).