But, perhaps, I am interpreting your observation too literally!

I was mainly honing in on the 'focus' part of meditation, I was thinking maybe this intense focus on cutting - using a certain instrument, doing it slowly, not doing it in a way that will actually lead to death, requiring a bit of the precision that is required of a surgeon - I was thinking these aspects of intense focus might help a person forget about their problems for a while. It's of course a complex behavior, but the requirement of 'focus' may play a part in it.

Thanks for your words and wishes! Have a great weekend!