Facing up to uncomfortable truths about ourselves and the way the world is can be a painful journey but leads to a greater quality of life, as no experience is off limits and suffering can be seen as an inevitable part of life rather than something to be feared. Seeing things as they really are does not have to happen all at once (although there are cases of sudden awakening) and is more like a gradual opening to what is. Many modern day pain clinics advise gently exploring painful areas of the body with our mind to increase blood flow to those areas and decrease tension. In a world filled with so much mental stress and tension this is also very wise advise to do with the painful parts of our mind, and something that the Buddha realised 2 500 years ago.