This is the wikipedia page about this topic:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward
Basically it works by introducing electrodes that, when activated, stimulate one or more reward pathways in the brain.
I always thought that pleasure and happiness where not the exact same thing, even though I doubt they can be disconnected completely, but this proves to us that the human brain (and probably almost all mammal brains) can experience different types of pleasure.
The activation of some reward pathways in the brain is associated with extreme feelings of pleasure, some resembling sexual satisfaction, other "raw" euphoria, a sensation of complete bliss etc.
Depending on the areas of the brain that are activated, we can have pleasure that after a while gives a sense of satiation (or satiety? LOL not a native speaker) so that the stimulus is no longer seeked by whom can self-administer it, or, in some cases, the subject will ignore all other activities (including eating) and his only purpose will be the activation of the electrodes 'till the point of fainting or death.
Non human primates and rats seem willing to go through starvation, sleep deprivation and phisical pain just to press the lever that will activate the electrodes in their brain.
What are your thoughts and considerations?
Bonus question: if you were offered a surgical intervention that would place electrodes in your brain that would activate your later hypothalamus by pressing a button would you go through with it? I mean, you could literally CTB by experiencing a sense of pleasure other human beings can't even dream of and feeling so good that you just forget to eat and starve to death.
Death by too much pleasure... I'd love that!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward
Basically it works by introducing electrodes that, when activated, stimulate one or more reward pathways in the brain.
I always thought that pleasure and happiness where not the exact same thing, even though I doubt they can be disconnected completely, but this proves to us that the human brain (and probably almost all mammal brains) can experience different types of pleasure.
The activation of some reward pathways in the brain is associated with extreme feelings of pleasure, some resembling sexual satisfaction, other "raw" euphoria, a sensation of complete bliss etc.
Depending on the areas of the brain that are activated, we can have pleasure that after a while gives a sense of satiation (or satiety? LOL not a native speaker) so that the stimulus is no longer seeked by whom can self-administer it, or, in some cases, the subject will ignore all other activities (including eating) and his only purpose will be the activation of the electrodes 'till the point of fainting or death.
Non human primates and rats seem willing to go through starvation, sleep deprivation and phisical pain just to press the lever that will activate the electrodes in their brain.
What are your thoughts and considerations?
Bonus question: if you were offered a surgical intervention that would place electrodes in your brain that would activate your later hypothalamus by pressing a button would you go through with it? I mean, you could literally CTB by experiencing a sense of pleasure other human beings can't even dream of and feeling so good that you just forget to eat and starve to death.
Death by too much pleasure... I'd love that!
