Mind over Matter The opposite of conversion and somatic symptom disorders—although again demonstrating the power of psychological processes—are instances in which people “ignore” pain or other physical symptoms. Here a London performance artist manages to smile comfortably at onlookers while her skin is being pierced with sharp hooks that help suspend her from the ceiling above. Her action was part of a protest to end shark finning—the practice of cutting off a shark’s fin and throwing its still-living body back into the sea so that the fins can be used in the production of shark fin soup (a food delicacy) and other goods.