How is it possible to control extremely intense pain? can any normal person learn how?

I remember learning about a buddhist monk who immolated himself in vietnam as part of a protest against i think bao dai.. not sure could be ho chi minh. anyways, i read that he did not move an inch or even make any facial expression as he burned away to a crisp. almost nothing was left except a shrunken heart. how is this possible? i mean i can control small amounts of pain like a cut or maybe even a bee sting or something but i cant touch fire let alone burn myself alive without a severe reaction.

i dont think he meditated for too long either because i thought he poured gas on himself and lit himself up without anyone elses help.

can anyone control this kind of pain or just a few special people?

Answer:
One only needs to control his outward reaction to the pain for a few seconds. The autonomous and defensive systems in the body will quickly take over and activate an unconscious state.

This tactic will only work when there is life threatening trauma.
i can tolerate pretty serious amounts of pain, if i want to. pain, like most things, is a wave. if you feel it and ride it, then what you experience decreases in amplitude. if you can just ride the wave it doesn't hurt as bad. most people panic and fight against it, and so instead they get hit by the wave and experience it as an assault. much like standing at the edge of the ocean and the waters lap against your legs. you can actually make it hurt more by doing that.

i think i know what you're talking about. years ago i saw a "faces of death" movie and they had a clip of a man who burned himself basically exactly as you described. the guy twitched a little but that was all. i'm not sure i could do that. i would bet on 'no'. sometimes your mind just isn't a part of it though. i can remember being in a fight with an old bf, and he put a cigarette out on me and i swear i didn't even feel it. my mind was just shut down. so, it's possible

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