Let's say we take a group of volunteers willing to receive a 120V discharge under fMRI scanners. They all may receive the same intensity but how can we know that they all recieve the same amount of suffering and what makes some people more tolerant to pain than others? ref here and here.
Altered states of consciousnesses produced by natural means (deep meditation, hypnosis) seem to have relation with the level of suffering and physical pain the subject may endure nevertheless there is no much scientific literature on the subject. eg. Hypnosurgery has not been backed up by mainstream science but there seem to be successful cases. ref here
Some Buddhist monks have immolated themselves to protest for prosecution in Tibet, Vietnam and other places. They seem to enter a deep state of meditation and once the immolation starts they don't show any signs of physical pain.
Malcolm Browne won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of Thích Quảng Đức
Psychic experiments such us remote viewing, telepathy, astral projection etc. are considered fraudulent and phony nevertheless some governments have spent millions of the taxpayers money on researching this topic eg. USA intelligence agencies (CIA) ref here then again the mainstream media don't tackle this issue.
Are there any credible sources investigating the nature of consciousness and its relationship with suffering? Is it possible that brains are just receptors of it because it exists independently? Do we have the freewill to detach our "consciousness" from our mind and body? Isn't that what most religions and spirituality through history have been about?
"Enlightenment is not suffering" Buddhist proverb
John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"
"There is no coming to consciousness without pain" Carl Jung