RE: Let's Talk People Who Are Immune To Pain; CIPA
You have chosen a very interesting topic. Triggers some associations and memories. I read something about hypnosis surgery. The pain sensation topic is really fascinating, because it raises the question of how a patient who does not tolerate anaesthesia (as I have heard somewhere before) can be operated on painlessly. I think they did experiments with it in France.
You know that you don't feel much pain when you're exposed to a lot of adrenaline and also when you're in shock, as far as I know. Also that it hurts more when you count on the pain (the psychological aspect of the pain expectation).
I looked for one source on research in hypnosis:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5428569/
It's interesting what the researchers say about that. I thought it wasn't easy to understand (at least not from my point of view).
Then your article reminded me of an SF novel, I think it was a scene where a woman with built-in blades in her fingers was carrying out a dangerous mission and was seriously injured. She injected so much painkiller into her blood that she could complete her actions despite a broken leg. The bad damage she caused herself could only be cured in the further course of the Science Fiction story. :) I think it was "Neuromancer", but I'm not quite sure anymore.
In any case, your article is very worth reading.
edit: it was Neuromancer from William Gibson
Molly, an assassin and former prostitute, carries various body modifications, such as fixed lenses with residual light amplifiers and retractable scalpel blades under her fingernails. She works for Armitage as a mercenary for the rough (called street samurai in the novel). She quickly develops an affection for Case. She tells of her former love, Johnny, a data courier who was killed by the Yaks (Yakuza). This is obviously Johnny Mnemonic, the main character from Gibson's most famous short story, which was the basis for a movie.
unfortunately the English wiki entry is much shorter than the German one. So I made a translation of the Molly-chapter.
Thanks for the detailed feedback, @erh.germany. Did you know some of the medical officers asked patients to cough while they were giving them injections? The moment they cough, the doctor would stick the needle in and the patient won't feel a thing. It seems, our mind can be too preoccupied with task hence ignore pain. It's like a cut, if you didn't realize it while doing something interesting, you won't feel it but once you see it, with your own eyes, you started to feel pain. It's interesting, isn't it?
Very much so! I experienced it myself. Even I burnt a good deal of my skin between the little and the ring finger - guess from the oven when I pulled out a casserole - but didn't realize it until the next day.
HaHa! Now this reminded me on Arthur Dent, who is able to fly in that second before he falls face to the ground when some pretty female legs distract him just right on time! Maybe you know Hitchikers through the Galaxy from D. Adams :)