"Also, scientists have discovered that most of the nerve receptors will respond to pressure, as well as to whatever they specialize in. For the longest time we assumed that each sensation had its own receptor and that that receptor had its own pathway to the brain, but it looks now as if the body's grasslands of neurons relate any sensation according to electrical codes."
With this concept, I wanted to create a diagram of the assumed anatomical structure of the nervous system. The key word is "assume", as the design is entirely interpretive, much like how the original scientific interpretation was inaccurate. The colors loosely correspond with different senses, and all travel back towards the brain.
"In the sand-swept sprawl of the panoramic film Lawrence of Arabia a scene of quintessential machismo stands out: T. E. Lawrence holding his hand over a candle flame until the flesh starts to sizzle. When his companion tries the same thing, he recoils in pain, crying "Doesn't that hurt you?" as he nurses his burned hand. "Yes," Lawrence replies coolly. "Then what is the trick?" the companion asks. "The trick," Lawrence answers, "is not to mind."
In this short excerpt, I really liked the theme of "mind over matter". Lawrence was able to perform the task, despite the pain, for the purpose of entertainment. With my illustration I wanted to play off that idea in a similar way. Rather, instead of placing a hand over a flame, the hand is actually holding the flame itself.