Touch: Pain and Animals

Reading the Touch chapter, the two subsections that really stood out to me were "Pain" and "Animals". For one thing, I love learning of varying cultures and how our perspective changes how we perceive the world. Additionally, I love applying that to different species as well, as there are a wide range of interesting biological functions that sets animals apart from one another.

For Pain, there was one area in which the author spoke about how certain cultures will mutilate themselves in the name of ritual, as experiencing and surmounting pain is part of a transitional celebration. Fascinated by this idea, I looked into a specific indigenous tribe called the Yanomami, who inhabit areas of the South American rainforest. There, they obtain piercings on their faces as a reflection of their culture, and just as it is a common thing, they do not perceive it as a painful experience. I drew an image of a Yanomami boy with piercings on his face in pencil. The background is compiled of harsh scribbles in charcoal to embody pain. However, it remains the background, and not the focus of the image. Further, I colored in the face paint and decorative flowering on his ears, as it demonstrates that while there is pain, his focus is on the elements of heritage. This is even more so reflected by the boy's passive expression.



Regarding animals, I learned a lot about different species and how they evolved to experience touch in different ways. Obviously, many animals are much more sensitive to touch, as it gives them a biological advantage at survival, and makes them much more aware of their surroundings. One of the examples used were alligators, which I found incredibly interesting, as their sense of touch was actually not primarily used to aid in survival. In fact, their advanced receptors around their mouths are most often used for stroking during courtship. So, as a failed attempt at humor and trying to stay relevant to the assignment, I drew two alligators hugging.

Please give me credit for this.