(OT meaning “off-topic”, rather than “Old Testament,” btw)

Here’s the thing.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a headache when I was trying to go to sleep. It wasn’t a terrible headache – I’m not susceptible to migraines or anything – but it was enough to keep me awake.

Then, I started thinking. You know, it’s only my head – and really just a little area in the front of my head – that hurts. Why is that I’m feeling that part of my body and not the 98% that isn’t hurting?

So I decided to try to sense that 98% instead of the 2% that ached. I concentrated on my foot, which felt fine. (like you do when you’re doing guided meditation. Okay, stop now. Don’t bother.)

It worked. When I was concentrating on “feeling” that foot, I didn’t feel the ache in my head. At all. When I let my concentration lapse, that pain came right to the forefront of my consciousness again. It was fascinating, like I’d found some sort of switch.

Same thing happened last night, except last night, add a mild stomach ache (still from the remnants of the Kroger Incident). I did it again, except this time, I concentrated on my hand. It took a lot of concentration, but again, it worked. When I was able to fully mentally concentrate on my hand, that’s all I “felt.”

I’ve tried it with ideas or concepts or images, but it didn’t seem to work the same way. Has anyone else every experienced this? Is there some sort of literature on this? I am I discovering something that everyone else already knows? Am I nuts?