This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In Finnish lore, the goddess Kivutar stashes away pain in a mountain for safekeeping. And yet she's also a healer, channeling it into rocks or boiling it down into a less potent form in a huge vat.
The complexity of pain—as well as the idea of changing one type into another—isn't just the stuff of myths. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a mental health condition that involves intentionally hurting the body to temporarily ease psychological distress. It affects as many as one in five adolescents worldwide, according to Northeastern psychology professor Iris Berent and her colleagues.
But adults aren't immune, either. The whole thing is puzzling, Berent told Northeastern Global News. "How come the infliction of pain on the body alleviates psychological pain?" she asked.
"It doesn't compute." In an Oct. 22 Scientific Reports paper, Berent and colleagues Chelsea Boccagno and Jill Hooley propose some answers. They show an association between NSSI and the way people intuitively perceive the relationship between their mind and body. Most people lean toward dualism, a psychological bias that makes them see their mind as separate from their body—despite the fact that science says otherwise.
In contrast, physicalism is a view that assumes both are made of the same stuff and lines up better with the scientific perspective. Berent's survey found that people with histories of more frequent self-injury leaned toward physicalism. While it can't prove that this belief causes NSSI or provide specific recommendations, the study gives clinicians a valuable window into the mind of someone who self-injures.
Experts noted this could help specialists build rapport and trust, making it easier to identify triggers and reframe urges before they lead to harmful behaviors. Most people learn to avoid pain. Tear open a bag of microwaved popcorn instead of heeding the warning about scalding steam and—ouch!—the lesson sticks.
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