Phantom Pain and Meditation

This whole phantom pain is a subject, that even the internet seem to be ignorant of. 
I have read many doctor reports, clinical trials, and "cures" for phantom pain on the internet. The only written words that seem even remotely connected to reality, is from amputation bloggers. They may not have any medical training, but they have been there. They understand more about phantom pain than any doctor can ever understand.

The one way to understand phantom pain is to understand Neuropathic Pain.
Wikipedia says:  Neuropathic pain is pain caused by damage or disease affecting the sensory nervous system. Neuropathic pain may be associated with abnormal sensations or pain from normally non-painful stimuli. It may have continuous and/or episodic components. The latter resemble stabbings or electric shocks.
Pains like Migraines, Sciatica, Shingles, and Phantom pain are all types of Neuropathic pain.
Generally, most studies have shown that opioid analgesics and NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxin, paracetamol, Cox-2 inhibitors) are not effective in alleviating most types of neuropathic pain.

 I have spent days analyzing and trying to figure out this phantom pain. It can hurt so bad, yet the pain is focused on something that doesn't exist.
When a lover dumps you, and walks away, the pain can be bad, and that is also not a physical pain.
When you are driving along, and some idiot cuts in front of you, almost causing a collision, a strong, gross, emotional sensation develops quickly. There is no physical reason for the strong anger felt. 
 If it is not physical, then, it must be in the mind.

I did Transcendental Meditation for 17 years, and Buddhist Vipassana meditation for the last 6 years. Add to this years of fighting many types of pain, and I feel qualified to fight Phantom pain.

Some of the cause of phantom pain is from actual stimulation of nerve endings left over from the amputation. This pain is difficult to isolate and focus on. Mainly because the pain is not felt at the source of the pain.
For years, I have had many problems with sciatica pain from my bad back. There again, the pain is felt in the back of my leg, but is caused by the pinching of nerves in the spine. Do I try to fight this at the spine that doesn't hurt at all, or the leg which is not the source of the pain? Sciatica is very difficult to deal with mentally.
 This phantom pain is in the same pain category as sciatica,or shingles.

 One of the skills Vipassana teaches, is "Equanimity".
By mentally "sweeping" over the entire body, I can note any sensations, both negative (pain) and positive (pleasurable). By noting any sensation, and concentrating and understanding it, it is possible that on the next "sweep", that sensation is no longer detectable. We call that - Equanimitization.  A sensation (pain) that has been equanimitized is no longer detectable by the senses.
On a Vipassana retreat, we would sit motionless for about 120 hours on a 10 day course. A lot of pain builds up in the back and knees. I got pretty good with equanimity of pain. The better you get with practice, the better you can equanimitize stronger pain. Soon, even gross, solidified sensations become impermanent.
You soon learn that pain, is impermanent.
You soon learn that everything, is impermanent. 

This technique is used by people like David Blaine. He held his breath under water for 17 minutes and 4 seconds live on Oprah. The choking, gasping feeling, you get when holding your breath is not a lack of oxygen. It is a carbon dioxide poisoning alarm the body gives. This alarm can be equanimitized.

This skill can also be applied to nonphysical sensations. Fear, sadness or when someone does something that angers you. Instead of a reactive emotion, you can respond with equanimity, and not get angry, because their action becomes a non-event.

Trying to equanimitize sciatica or Phantom pain is a whole different level than simple physical pain.  I may not be able to stop the pain, but I should be able to stop the suffering.
Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Equanimity is one of many mental weapons to fight this Phantom. Some weapons are powerful, requiring strong concentration, and some are weaker, but easier to use.

 One of the easier tools I am trying out against the Phantom pain, comes from Samadhi meditation. It is a technique for relaxing the mind, and concentration focusing. These are actually the same thing. A relaxed mind is able to focus much more clearly than a chaotic mind.
Transcendental Meditation teaches the repetition of a word (Mantra) over and over at the barely conscious level. By repeating a Mantra you can relax the mind.
Vipassana teaches another way to relax the mind. By focusing your whole attention on the area between your nostrils and your upper lip, you can feel the air going in and out. Don't try to control the breath, just observe and focus on the sensation of the breath over that area. 
Either way works to relax the mind, and promotes concentration on something. Either a Mantra, or the breath. I prefer the breath method.

Once my mind is relaxed, and I am able to concentrate on the breath, I find that the more of my mind devoted to the breath leaves less of my mind available to the phantom pain.
While concentration on the breath with a calm mind, I found that I never had Phantom pain. If my mind wanders, then it would hurt. Does this mean that the Phantom pain is purely mental?
Or does it mean that the Phantom pain is real pain that I can mask?
 Either way, once the mind is relaxed, I will be able to start the equanimitization process, and focus on sweeping for sensations, . The big question, is what exactly do I equanimitize. The wound which is the source of the Phantom pain, or the Phantom pain location on the missing foot.

After a few days, and about 8 hours of meditation, I was able to reproduce the following:
Using the breath as a focus for Samadhi meditation, I was able to get relaxed enough to totally relax all muscles in my stump, and to stop all thoughts, except the breath. During this period of time, I never had phantom pain. If I was distracted, or failed to keep a quiet mind, the phantom pain occurred within seconds.
This may sound like success, but it is totally non practical. I cannot achieve the required calmness of mind while in a normal home environment. I can while meditating.

After a farther 4 meditations, I am convinced that I cannot reduce the phantom pain through meditation. When I first awake, there is no Phantom pain. I work hard to maintain that state of mind. I can keep it for a minute or two, but soon the pain comes. Consciousness is necessary for the phantom pain to exist. It is mental.
I will keep working on it. I think an all new method of interaction with the brain is needed.
--
A month later...
I am sure that any strong sensory stimulation will reduce the phantom pain.
I have tried loud music with some success. If I concentrate on the music, then there is less phantom pain. Some times my mind drifts, and the pain comes. Music is a good tool, but is not a solution to the pain.
When I first awake, the phantom pain is non existent. If I just lay still it come on strong in about 30 seconds.
The best way to prevent the phantom pain from coming, is to quickly concentrate on my good foot, and crunch the toes up like I am grabbing something. This thought and action will keep the phantom pain away for a long time. I can mentally crunch my toes, and keep this thoughts in the background and still function to go to the toilet. then back in bed without any phantom pain.
The crunching of toes seems to be the best way of mixing reality with stopping the phantom pain.
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Another month later.
The only way that drugs seem to help, is if they are used to prompt unconsciousness. Pain pills do not work on Phantom Pain. But enough pain pills reduces my conscious thoughts and that reduces phantom pain.
To stop the pain, stop the brain.