altered states!

Started by poopnoodle October 9th, 2010 8:45 AM
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Seen January 4th, 2013
Posted October 21st, 2011
1,804 posts
13.8 Years
kinda in relation to rekhyt's thread, only disregarding external substances- let's talk specifically about the self-induced sort of altered states. we've had chemicals in our heads that have been there since our births (supply varying from one individual to the next) that allow us what i want to call "virtual highs;" we experience these "highs" in outbursts of laughter, temper tantrums, crying fits, sexual longing, tension, perhaps even love...the list goes on and on. while these are very natural and common phenomena, there are some chemical substances that can bring about (more or less) destructive behavior: physical releases of aggression, false senses of being victimized, sensations of superiority, cynical conceptions of the world, tendencies to build biased opinions about two-sided situations (intentionally ignoring information contrary to your own opinion), etc. while the neurotransmitters that give rise to those actions and feelings are deeply embedded in the more primitive parts of our brains, they're the easiest to evoke.

is calling forth the chemicals that generate positive emotions something you strive for and are there any physical activities you perform (maybe yoga?) that aid you in doing so? do you think society has an addiction to some of these chemicals, do you think perhaps people get pleasure out of aggressive or otherwise destructive behavior? how do you recognize people who are prone to bring out negative emotions, and do you work to avoid them?

Melody

Banned

Female
Cuddling those close to me
Seen March 4th, 2018
Posted March 2nd, 2018
6,459 posts
18.6 Years
While it's not a purely physical mechanism, I find that listening to my music can get the endorphins and other positive neurotransmitters pumping.

There is a playlist I keep maintained, full of songs I love. Songs which I can relate to, and feel. While I have thousands of songs available to me immediately, I don't often browse it often, unless I'm just feeling unable to be stimulated by my usual playlist.

There are a few other ways I can sort of induce an altered state, some of them positive and some of them negative. Naturally I don't resort to these 'altered states' unless I can see a mental or emotional health benefit from it.