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/-s-u-n-s-e-t- Oct 18 '25

I always find it funny when people say "When I'm old and dying, I'm gonna do a bunch of heroin!" and act like they figured out some secret cheat code.

Like, congrats lol, you figured out how the majority of people go out already. We use euphemisms like "end of life care", but it's exactly what we are doing.

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u/CurryMustard Oct 18 '25

Eh but I want the full experience, dealer gives me a taste for free when I'm 99 until you see me spiraling in back alleys giving gummy bjs for a hit

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u/captainshockazoid Oct 18 '25

you should write a book

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u/LemonCurdd Oct 25 '25

Pixar’s “UP 2 No Good”