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Transforming Pain and Pleasure Into Spiritual Calm and Bliss · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  All sensations carry signals through the nervous system to
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  the brain, which can then interpret the signal.
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  The signal may be more or less intense.
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  It may be interpreted as pain or pleasure.
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  Intensity of the sensation has something to do with the
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  experience and its interpretation.
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  There's a certain intensity which is comfortable for an
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  individual, and beyond that intensity it is frequently
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  interpreted as painful. Thus the signal travelling to
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  the brain in and of itself is not necessarily pleasurable or
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  painful. It is the interpretation that is
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  given to that signal that makes the difference.
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  In this regard, individuals sometimes undertake to build up
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  their ability to withstand more intense signals, and through
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  systematic efforts they find that what used to be painful to
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  them is no longer painful. In some cases, there is a vital
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  or emotional component that helps to convert the otherwise
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  painful experience into one of ecstatic bliss.
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  This sometimes happened with yogic practitioners who go
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  beyond pain and have extraordinary inner experiences
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  once they pass that threshold. For example, we see yogis who
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  sit, lie down, or walk on spiked beds or spiked sandals.
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  If anyone else tries those same things without the focus and the
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  practice, they experience intensely painful sensations.
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  Yet one can observe such individuals who have practiced
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  this as a technique for years, who are clearly joyful and not
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  in pain at all. They have entered into another
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  psychological space that converts the signal they receive
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  through the nerves into a form of ecstasy or in some cases,
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  spiritual joy. While these examples refer to
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  rather extreme steps taken by individuals to push the limits,
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  one can see analogous results where the spiritual seeking is
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  sincere and firm that leave the seeker with calm or deep sense
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  of joy even in the midst of experiencing painful sensations.
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  It is not just painful sensations, however, that can be
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  transformed. Oftentimes it is pleasurable
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  sensations that represent the true obstacle for a seeker who
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  can become so enamoured of the experience that he fails to make
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  further progress but simply tries to repeat the pleasurable
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  sensation and wallow in it. Ryorobindo writes in his
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  thoughts and aphorisms. Quote.
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  There is no iron or ineffugible law that a given contact shall
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  create pain or pleasure. It is the way the soul meets the
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  rush or pressure of Brahman upon the members from outside them
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  that determines either reaction. End Quote.
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  The mother observes. Quote It is obvious that the
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  same event or the same contact causes pleasure in one and pain
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  in another depending on the inner attitude taken by each
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  one. And this observation leads
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  towards a great realization for once. 1 is not only understood
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  but also felt that the Supreme Lord is the originator of all
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  things and one remains constantly in contact with Him.
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  All becomes the action of His grace and has changed into calm
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  and luminous bliss. End Quote Reference Srioro Bindu
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  and the Mother Looking from within, Chapter 1.
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  Looking at Life and Circumstances, page 6.