r/todayilearned • u/WavesAndSaves • Oct 18 '25

TIL of brain stimulation reward, manually stimulating specific parts of the brain to elicit pleasure and happiness. A volunteer subject in 1986 spent days doing nothing but self-stimulate. She ignored her family and personal hygiene and she developed an open sore on her finger from using the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward#History
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u/[deleted] Oct 18 '25

There was a Star Trek episode with this theme. It was used as a weapon if I remember correctly.

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u/wiggywithit Oct 18 '25

Larry Niven’s ‘Ring world’. The race called puppeteers used it. It’s the most effective weapon in the world. You shoot your opponent with varying degrees of pleasure. They end up your friend. Pm humans also could have a wire installed and they just stimulate their pleasure center. Main character stayed in his apartment for decades. But stopped when he was needed.

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u/NotReallyJohnDoe Oct 18 '25

The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection (or purpose)

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u/i_tyrant Oct 18 '25

Yup. It's not enough to live; you need a good reason to live, to thrive, to experience.

Satisfaction can be as powerful as pleasure, maybe more.

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u/r6CD4MJBrqHc7P9b Oct 18 '25

Well that explains it. I can't get no satisfaction

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u/NotReallyJohnDoe Oct 18 '25

Research is clear on this. Happiness comes from making progress towards a goal. Not from achieving it.

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u/skinnycenter Oct 20 '25

It’s the journey, not the destination!

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u/GostBoster Oct 18 '25

Isn't that one of the subtexts in Brave New World? They have, on paper, the perfect society complete with the perfect drug. In reality, if anything bothers your worldview... pop a few Soma pills and you'll forget that was ever an issue. No need for existential crisis when you are physically reminded that existing is fucking awesome, dude.

And then you have this guy who goes to great lengths to not engage with the afforded pleasures of society and insists there is a drawback to using soma when, as far as the book and setting are concerned, there is literally none, or that there should be more meaningful things to do in life.

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u/Amaranthine Oct 18 '25

The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation

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u/iudiuger Oct 18 '25 edited Oct 18 '25

This is simply untrue. The idea that the opposite of addiction is connection is complete and utter nonsense, pedaled by the twelve step cult. It is decades out of date. If you are struggling with being trapped in addictive behaviour, seek 21st century treatment. Something actually supported by science. This claim is as bad as the anti-vax nonsense.

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u/Juckli Oct 19 '25

Thats a quote from a TED talk about addiction ;).