I have just returned from a week in Paris. After spending a week eating, drinking and consuming mass quantities of art and culture, I returned to the States slimmer, clear-skinned, and brimming with a sense of history, proportion and an inner calm I haven't attained without meditation in years. What is this magic? What is it that makes French (and most of European) society so balanced, so reasonable, so healthy?

Avoid pain. Seek pleasure. Most of our lives can be reduced to these simple directives. It’s no wonder then that relief from pain is a primary motivational force in our lives and a multi billion dollar medical enterprise. But can we relieve pain with mere thought?