Questions

I am fascinated by the relationship between mind and matter. It's a long, long time since I was ever an idealist, and even then I don't believe it was ever in the metaphysical sense. A psychosomatic pain though apparently shows the brain 'causing' something without the usual use of nerves, motor mechanisms, etc. Or does it? Is the effect glandular? If so, how? Is there any real physical justification for the pain at all or is it purely a mental sensation, ie. the body is actually unchanged, the pain being a 'phantom' sensation like that experienced by amputees? Is there any research on this and any findings one way or the other? Can we operate at the level of thing-in-itself or is it always thing as experienced?