In the treatment of chronic pain, there seems to be a recent trend towards the idea of "grieving for your former (pain-free) self" in order to move on with your life and your new pain-afflicted self.

I wonder if this is in accord with Buddhist beliefs on not-self? It implies that our "self" goes through some major changes, but perhaps assumes that there is an unchanging soul behind it.

I would say it is the opposite of Buddhist practice.

Buddhist practice would seek to see this pain as impersonal, conditioned, and changing phenomena, to see it as just pain rather than "my pain" and generating more aversion to it.

Grieving on purpose for a past condition is only going to reinforce attachment and identification with it.

In the treatment of chronic pain, there seems to be a recent trend towards the idea of "grieving for your former (pain-free) self" in order to move on with your life and your new pain-afflicted self.

I wonder if this is in accord with Buddhist beliefs on not-self? It implies that our "self" goes through some major changes, but perhaps assumes that there is an unchanging soul behind it.

My feeling is that the grieving is of Ego, lamenting it's loss.

The stronger the Ego, the greater the Ego.

Ego needs to be in command.

Ego believes it is you, however it is simply a conditioned construct.

Ego is attached to Feed, Aversion, and Delusion.

The Ego is averse to pain

Hence the longing and grief of its loss.

it still hurts no matter how you want to dress it up with fancy ideas

In the treatment of chronic pain, there seems to be a recent trend towards the idea of "grieving for your former (pain-free) self" in order to move on with your life and your new pain-afflicted self.

I wonder if this is in accord with Buddhist beliefs on not-self? It implies that our "self" goes through some major changes, but perhaps assumes that there is an unchanging soul behind it.

My feeling is that the grieving is of Ego, lamenting it's loss.

The stronger the Ego, the greater the Ego.

Ego needs to be in command.

Ego believes it is you, however it is simply a conditioned construct.

Ego is attached to Feed, Aversion, and Delusion.

The Ego is averse to pain

Hence the longing and grief of its loss.

...when you are crossing that bridge over troubled waters from your past to your future, you never, ever stop in the middle and look back.

In the treatment of chronic pain, there seems to be a recent trend towards the idea of "grieving for your former (pain-free) self" in order to move on with your life and your new pain-afflicted self.

I wonder if this is in accord with Buddhist beliefs on not-self? It implies that our "self" goes through some major changes, but perhaps assumes that there is an unchanging soul behind it.

My feeling is that the grieving is of Ego, lamenting it's loss.

The stronger the Ego, the greater the Ego.

Ego needs to be in command.

Ego believes it is you, however it is simply a conditioned construct.

Ego is attached to Feed, Aversion, and Delusion.

The Ego is averse to pain

Hence the longing and grief of its loss.

...when you are crossing that bridge over troubled waters from your past to your future, you never, ever stop in the middle and look back.

You'd have to elaborate.

I don't know what you mean.

it still hurts no matter how you want to dress it up with fancy ideas

True.

With years of practice you realise it is just thoughts & feelings.

There are things more profound.

It seems to be a non-Buddhist way of letting go of attachment to the happier, pain-free self of old.