I think what the author is trying to across is that despite the technological and scientific advances we still struggle with our understanding of how pain works

I think what the author is trying to across is that despite the technological and scientific advances we still struggle with our understanding of how pain works. I mean a 7T MRI is ridiculously powerful and at the end of the article one of the scientists from the lab tells the author "That map is actually really difficult to make sense of". They do discuss a little bit about the brain coping with pain in religious versus atheist participants about halfway down the article where in the religious population they found that a neural area was engaged that is associated with ability to override physical response. I think this article is important right now because pain and pain management has been one of the driving forces behind the opioid epidemic that has been sweeping across the continent. Understanding pain is an important part of managing it.