🐈

suffering can be defined as “shadow pain”. it’s when the thought of a thing is more scary/painful than the actual thing e.g. the giant needle for drawing blood. there’s both the physical sensation but also the looming dread prior to any physical sensation

at the moment of contact the supersaturated dread suddenly crystallizes and can result in fainting. but the actual physical trigger was likely just the initial poke of the needle. a sensation far less jarring than say, stepping on a lego

if the suffering is brought into the light of consciousness. that is you try to *fully* feel the pain of the needle, then there is actually *more* of the physical sensation, it’s more “painful” in some ways

but because there is less shadow there is less dread. you don’t choke as you take in the full sensation.

this “choking” is probably THE primal fear. e.g. the brain coldly and rationally sets this type of warning to MAX volume. fear of drowning, being embarrassed in front of a crowd, cacooned by spider, “choking” in sports, in front of hot girl/boy, etc...