The Science Behind Attention and Pain: How to Train Your Brain to Release Pain

Have you ever noticed that when you focus on your pain, it seems to get worse? That’s not just in your head—your brain actively filters what you experience, and the more you focus on discomfort, the stronger it becomes.

The good news? You can train your brain to shift its focus and reduce your pain experience. Science shows that attention plays a key role in how we perceive pain, and by understanding how our brain works, we can start using it to our advantage.

Your Brain’s Attention Filter: The Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Deep inside your brainstem is a powerful network called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). Think of it as your brain’s filter, deciding what information gets priority and what gets ignored. The RAS helps us process millions of bits of data every second, ensuring that only the most relevant information reaches our conscious awareness.

Here’s how it works in everyday life:

• If you’re in the market for a particular make and model of car, suddenly you start noticing this car everywhere.
• If you’re thinking about getting a particular breed of dog and then you see this dog everywhere you look
• If you constantly focus on pain, stress, or fear, your brain filters in more of the same, amplifying your pain signals.

The RAS is like a gatekeeper and blocks as much as 99% of sensory input coming into the brain! This filtering mechanism explains why what we focus on expands. And while this can work against us when it comes to pain, the exciting part is that we can train the RAS to focus on healing instead.

Neuroplasticity: Rewiring the Brain for Healing

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and rewire itself based on thoughts, emotions, and repeated experiences. For decades, scientists believed the brain was fixed, but research now shows that we can reshape our neural pathways at any age.

When we continuously focus on pain, the brain strengthens those neural connections, making pain feel even more persistent. But by consciously shifting our focus to calm, peace, and healing, we can start rewiring our brain to experience relief.

Scientific Studies on Attention and Pain

🔹 Pain Neuroscience Research: Studies have shown that chronic pain is not just a physical sensation but also a learned brain response. Retraining the brain through attention-based therapies like mindfulness, visualization, and cognitive reframing can significantly reduce pain levels.

🔹 The Boulder Back Pain Study (2021): This groundbreaking study found that patients with chronic back pain who underwent Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)—a technique that helps shift attention away from fear and toward safety—experienced substantial pain reduction.

🔹 Mindfulness and Pain Management: Research from Harvard Medical School shows that mindfulness meditation, which involves placing non-judgmental awareness on the present moment, can rewire the brain’s pain response and lower the intensity of pain signals.

How to Start Training Your Brain to Release Pain

The key to shifting your attention away from pain is to train your RAS and neuroplasticity to focus on what you want to experience more of. Here’s how to train your brain to release pain:

1. Become Aware of What’s Capturing Your Attention

First, start noticing where your focus naturally goes throughout the day. Do you often:
✅ Check in with your pain the moment you wake up?
✅ Fear that your pain will never go away?
✅ Talk about pain frequently in conversation?
✅ Spend time reading about or searching for symptoms online?

Awareness is the first step. Once you recognize these patterns, you can begin redirecting your focus.

2. Use Mindful Breathing to Shift Your State

When you notice your attention focusing on pain, pause and take three deep, slow breaths. As you inhale, imagine peace and relaxation spreading through your body. As you exhale, visualize releasing tension and discomfort.

This simple practice signals safety to your nervous system, helping your brain rewire its pain response.

3. Train Your RAS with Visualization

Your brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined experiences. That means visualizing yourself moving freely, feeling strong, and living pain-free can start rewiring your neural pathways for healing.

Try this:
🧘 Close your eyes and picture yourself doing something you love—walking on the beach, dancing, laughing.
💡 Engage all your senses: Feel the warmth of the sun, hear the laughter, and notice the joy in your body.
⏳ Do this for just 1-2 minutes a day to start shifting your focus toward possibility and healing.

4. Redirect Your Attention to Gratitude

Pain often narrows our focus to what’s wrong. One of the fastest ways to shift this is by practicing gratitude.

Each morning, place your hand on your heart and say three things you’re grateful for. They don’t have to be big—just something that makes you feel even slightly better in the moment. Gratitude rewires the brain to notice what’s good, rather than what’s painful.

5. Limit Pain-Focused Conversations

The more we talk about pain, the more our brain reinforces it as a dominant focus. Instead of leading conversations with pain, try shifting to:
🌿 What’s one thing that felt good today?
💡 What’s something I’m looking forward to?
✨ How can I focus on living, rather than just managing pain?

This simple shift can reshape your brain’s filter over time, helping you focus more on what brings you joy.

Final Thoughts: You Have More Control Than You Think

Your attention is your superpower when it comes to healing. By understanding how the Reticular Activating System and neuroplasticity shape your pain experience, you can begin shifting your focus toward peace, possibility, and relief and learn how to train your brain to release pain.

Where your attention goes, energy flows. So, where will you place your focus today?

✨ Want to dive deeper? Listen to my podcast episode on "Your Attention is Your Superpower" on my YouTube Channel here.