Predictive processing as a theory to understand pain
20,522 views |
Mick Thacker |
TEDxKingstonUponThames
• January 2020
We all feel pain. It's a universal experience which physically demands our attention. Now Dr. Mick Thacker, a world-renowned Professor of Pain is leading pioneering new research to better understand pain, based on the theory of Predictive Processing. He submits that our brains are predictive machines: experience subconsciously affects how much we expect to feel pain in conditions suggesting threat or danger. The degree of sensation you feel in that moment is influenced by personal senses of anticipation, anxiety and emotion. So deep down, you already know it's going to hurt.