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Electric Stimulation as an Alternate to Exogenous Admin of Chemicals?

Riemann Zeta said:
"Strange Days, an under-appreciated early 1990s flick based (I think) upon a novella from Philip K. Dick (author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and "A Scanner, Darkly").
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That makes five films based on Philip K. Dick novels. Funny, the guy, who few people have ever heard of, seems to have been something of a prophet.
 
There used to be a machine the size of a walkmen cassette player that claimed to stimulate opoid relise it was said to feel a little better than after a good run. I think it was due to the frequency as well as the positioning of the electrodes whether this was True or not i don't know.
 
I think that true wiretripping--simstim (simulated stimulation), as it was termed by William Gibson (author of the archetypical cyberpunk novel "Neuromancer"), would require far more advanced nanotechnology than is available today or will be available in the conceivable future. With an array of several nanomachines per neuron, it would (in theory) be possible to control the localized electrical environment (in R^3) of each individual neuron. This would be the only way I can think of to 'record' or 'replay' phenomenological experiences, such as those engendered by psychedelics. Case, the protagonist of "Neuromancer," has this type of brain-computer interface. Curiously, however, he is also addicted to dexmethamphetamine.
 
Sounds like a cool novel...couldn't the nanobots play around at receptor sites also? Like an all in one reusable drug. Perhaps you could also get them in there to set up shop to up-regulate receptors and synthesize monoamines...possibly....

:)
 
MDPVagrant said:
^^^ very perceptive IMO... humans have a very large "higher brain" (cerebral cortex?), of which the primary function seems to be "to inhibit." To set limits, define things, etc. Animals tend to act by instinct, humans by rationality. Nothing too complex about it, IMO it is the human brain.
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Dave Pearce's website mentions our "inbuilt hedonic treadmill of inhibitory feedback mechanisms" in relation to the body and mind working towards general equilibrium. There's a lot of very very good stuff to read on that site.

I used to read the good drug guide all the time - Amineptine sounded interesting (spontaneous orgasms anyone? :D )
 
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Some people seem to think just drilling a hole in your head makes you a happier person eg trepanation
 
jasoncrest said:
These links are VERY interesting; the whole www.wirehead.com website is.

In all experiments, electrodes are installed in people's brains; and the doctor give them electric stimulation.
The pleasure seems to be very intense, but short lasting.

I wonder what would happen if these electrodes where permanentely stimulated?
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It's wireheading.com btw.
I just had a look, and that's part of DP's website too!
www.biopsychiatry.com
www.hedweb.com
www.mdma.net

etc. he's got loads of domains & pages. One of my all time heros. He did me a great favour once.
 
Are the electrodes resulting in dopamine release that results in cascade effect to pleasure center (I forget the area names) or is this direct stimulation of the pleasure centers (ie bypassing monoamine release)?
 
^^^Good question. There are several subcortical areas in which implanted electrodes can sustain self-stimulation behavior (at appropriate current intensities). In general, these areas are either nuclei where cell bodies of monoaminergic (dopaminergic especially but perhaps also others) neurons are located, nuclei to which their axons project, or nuclei that send excitatory projections to monoaminergic nuclei. Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) can also be elicited by electrodes placed in the middle of fiber tracts containing such projections. In humans, dopamine D1 receptor antagonists can produce extreme anhedonia at sufficient doses. However, despite all this evidence that seems to imply that dopamine = pleasure or reward, that easy hypothesis is almost certainly untrue. For instance, intracranial self-stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle, a fiber tract including dopaminergic (as well as other) axons, can be sustained for a long time at very high frequencies which quickly deplete dopamine from terminals in the nucleus accumbens. One important thing to keep in mind is that other types of projection neurons and axons are present in the areas that support ICSS, so these are probably also playing an important role.
 
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