ABSTRACT
As with most other phenomena, there are many myths or misconceptions about chronic pain. At the risk of being mundane, pretentious, or even reinforcing existing misconceptions, this chapter explores what some of these may be. Simply, myths or misconceptions arise out of an incomplete understanding and reflect our ignorance of the material at hand. Myths or misconceptions can also arise out of apparent but possibly false dichotomies. A fundamental dichotomy permeating many domains of human activity, from at least the time of Descartes, is mind-body dualism. This can be especially problematic for the understanding of chronic pain. Much of the current chapter is devoted to one aspect or another of this dichotomy and the misconceptions or confusion that flow from a biased perspective. Although some may think that reviewing this issue is akin to “beating a dead horse,” this may also represent an important misconception. Rather, it is argued that explication of what the interface between the two sides of this issue may be is a most important avenue of research. It should also be noted that many myths or misconceptions may be rooted in one’s professional training or background. In this regard, it is acknowledged that the predominant perspective of the current chapter is from that of psychologists working in the field of chronic pain.
