Perceiving Pain: Health, Culture and Ritual

For most of us, coming into contact with some form of pain is a daily occurrence: it is both a usual part of the human experience and lexicon. Not surprisingly, pain has many differing and contextually specific meanings, and although it is nearly universal across the realm of human experience, its definitions and perceptions remain subjective and highly personal. In this paper, the authors outline and explore perceptions and understandings of pain, with regard to functionality at both the basic physiological level and ritual level, and the need for further cross-study and complimentary research between both clinical professionals and social scientists.