Pleasure re-programming (Re: Hedonism)

Felix Ungman (felix@aleph.se)
Tue, 8 Oct 1996 23:11:38 +0100


Ira Brodsky:
>Perhaps transhumanists should program themselves to experience an
>intense orgasm (or something analogous) every time they acquire
>important knowledge, gain new insights, or create (or even procreate?)
>something of value.

This is a actually an excellent idea. The major problem is that many of =
the
responses we want to reprogram function at a very low level. The two
basic feelings are lust and hunger. Normally the responses of these =
feelings
are sex or food. For some time, whenever I feel lust, I try to associate
the feeling, not with sex, but with the feeling of success and wealth.
Similarily (handy when you practice calorie restriction) I try to
associate hunger with work. These are just simple examples but I think
there are many motivational feedback circuits that can be reprogrammed
in similair fashion, perhaps in combination with drug/hormon theraphy.

Now I only have to find some time to study more medicin and psychology.

Felix Ungman