Significance of Suffering: A Neuroscience Perspective

Pain and suffering are inevitable realities of life. Not only do humans suffer from physical pain but animals too. Recently, the advent of the covid-19 pandemic has led to a global rise in suffering. The significance of physical pain and the emotional dimension of pain is long understood. Here we are trying to understand the significance of suffering pathway in the human brain. The recent advancement in neuroscience related to insights into pain perception, mirror neuron networks, suffering and compassion has created an appeal to revisit the pain and suffering from a contemporary neuroscience perspective. This article analyzes the benefits of suffering from an evolutionary and neuroscientific approach. Suffering affects people differently as some may become more compassionate and/or resilient while others develop depression. Here we are attempting to explain the underlying neural circuitry involved in suffering, empathy and compassion and to point out the interconnectedness among them. Subsequently, the article proposes a neuroscientific perspective to manage the emotional overdrive associated with suffering.