Page 148 - The Miracle of Electricity in the Body

146 THE MIRACLE OF ELECTRICITY IN THE BODY

first strap on a watch, we feel the coolness of the metal, the thickness and
weight of the strap, but then we soon forget these details. However, if
the strap loosens and is about to fall off, this attracts our attention. In the
same way, receptors in our scalp immediately perceive the change when
we take off our hats off, but our sensations soon adapt to the hat’s re-
moval.
Feeling our clothes and accessories we wear at every moment
would give rise to considerable discomfort. Therefore, the way that our
skin adapts to fixed stimuli is of enormous importance—and a great
blessing from our Lord.

The wisdom behind sensations of pain

Pain is a warning that a part of the body has undergone damage.
Several million of our nerve receptors perceive pain, and the greater the
shock they receive, the more they are stimulated. For example, when
you hit our knee against a table or tread on a fragment of glass, the re-
ceptor cells in our skin react to something that is going to harm you.
They send an urgent message to the brain, and you immediately take
steps to escape that discomfort.
Some painful sensations take the form of aches, or of stings, or of
burning. The sensation feeling of being stabbed reaches the brain
fastest—at 30 meters (98 feet) per second. Receptors that perceive this
are located on the outer layer of skin. Burning sensations reach the brain
a bit more slowly, at a speed of 2 meters (6.5 feet) per second.
Behind the different speeds at which these sensations are per-
ceived, there is great wisdom. For example, the way that we first experi-
ence a bee sting, followed by the gradual arising of a burning sensation,
is of great importance. The stabbing feeling ensures rapid protection
against the threat. No doubt that this is one of the examples of our Lord’s
most wise creation.