ten seconds away. Their brains seemed to simply register that cue with no particular reaction. But during the actual moments of intense heat the yogis had a surprising heightened response, mainly in the sensory areas that receive the granular feel of a stimulus—the tingling, pressure, high heat, and other raw sensations on the skin of the wrist where the hot plate rested. The emotional regions of the pain matrix activated a bit, but not as much as the sensory circuitry. This suggests a lessening of the psychological component—like the worry we feel in anticipation of pain—along with
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