apache Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 so hypothetically, its the year 2100, and we have ways of controlling negative feedback regulation in our neurobiology so we can be go to an average emotional state of bliss (ecstasy bliss) by modifying our genes and changing our brain chemistry. Yes? no? why not... ethics, do they matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 so hypothetically, its the year 2100, and we have ways of controlling negative feedback regulation in our neurobiology so we can be go to an average emotional state of bliss (ecstasy bliss) by modifying our genes and changing our brain chemistry. Yes? no? why not... ethics, do they matter? we already do that with drugs. sounds like people will do it anyways. Only becomes a problem if you start endangering others (i.e. driving, also i guess we'll all be in hover cars by then) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 we already do that with drugs. The OP himself at the time of this post, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In_Valid Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 so hypothetically, its the year 2100, and we have ways of controlling negative feedback regulation in our neurobiology so we can be go to an average emotional state of bliss (ecstasy bliss) by modifying our genes and changing our brain chemistry. Yes? no? why not... ethics, do they matter? oh yea? well what about cognitive nanomolecular statistical quantum thermodynamics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 They once did an experiment in which they implanted an electrode into a man's pleasure center in his brain (I forget which spot it actually was)... anyways, after the surgery, they were able to press a button which would release the neccessary ions or whatnot to stimulate his pleasure center at will... they gave him the button, and let him use it for an hour, and found that he clicked it an average of once every two seconds, i think, for the entire hour... anyways, this man was severely depressed and gay... they wanted to see if they could change this... so they put him in a room to watch straight porn with the pleasure button, and after however many sessions (of obvious conditioning), they brought in a prostitute (haha, this was obviously years ago --- imagine proposing this to an ethics board nowadays ), and he was turned on, had sex (first time with a woman), enojyed it, etc.... anyways, they followed up on him (i forget if he was allowed to keep the button or not --- probably not), and a month or so later, he was much less depressed, and said he had been enjoying both guys and girls now i know this isn't exactly what you were talking about... but it's just an interesting experiment from back in the day when they had no ethical constraints haha, showing the extent to which we can fundamentally manipulate our brains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayven Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Don't they do something similar with mice and rats with the pleasure button? If I recall, the rodents kept pressing the button and even forgo food.. and eventually starved themselves. Reminds me of the kid that killed himself by playing too much at the internet cafe and forgot to eat or drink (except for cup noodles.. which are loaded with sodium). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewB Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 a month or so later, he was much less depressed, and said he had been enjoying both guys and girls now Wow...must have been a busy dude to generate enough data for follow-up in a month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballofnerves Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Any chance you could track down that source? Might make for an interesting read. They once did an experiment in which they implanted an electrode into a man's pleasure center in his brain (I forget which spot it actually was)... anyways, after the surgery, they were able to press a button which would release the neccessary ions or whatnot to stimulate his pleasure center at will... they gave him the button, and let him use it for an hour, and found that he clicked it an average of once every two seconds, i think, for the entire hour... anyways, this man was severely depressed and gay... they wanted to see if they could change this... so they put him in a room to watch straight porn with the pleasure button, and after however many sessions (of obvious conditioning), they brought in a prostitute (haha, this was obviously years ago --- imagine proposing this to an ethics board nowadays ), and he was turned on, had sex (first time with a woman), enojyed it, etc.... anyways, they followed up on him (i forget if he was allowed to keep the button or not --- probably not), and a month or so later, he was much less depressed, and said he had been enjoying both guys and girls now i know this isn't exactly what you were talking about... but it's just an interesting experiment from back in the day when they had no ethical constraints haha, showing the extent to which we can fundamentally manipulate our brains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 They once did an experiment in which they implanted an electrode into a man's pleasure center in his brain (I forget which spot it actually was)... anyways, after the surgery, they were able to press a button which would release the neccessary ions or whatnot to stimulate his pleasure center at will... they gave him the button, and let him use it for an hour, and found that he clicked it an average of once every two seconds, i think, for the entire hour... anyways, this man was severely depressed and gay... they wanted to see if they could change this... so they put him in a room to watch straight porn with the pleasure button, and after however many sessions (of obvious conditioning), they brought in a prostitute (haha, this was obviously years ago --- imagine proposing this to an ethics board nowadays ), and he was turned on, had sex (first time with a woman), enojyed it, etc.... anyways, they followed up on him (i forget if he was allowed to keep the button or not --- probably not), and a month or so later, he was much less depressed, and said he had been enjoying both guys and girls now i know this isn't exactly what you were talking about... but it's just an interesting experiment from back in the day when they had no ethical constraints haha, showing the extent to which we can fundamentally manipulate our brains that's not an experiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 that's not an experiment yeah....I would love to see the reference for that. Or actually I probably won't as it means something slipped through the ethics clearance on that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddo Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 They once did an experiment in which they implanted an electrode into a man's pleasure center in his brain (I forget which spot it actually was)... anyways, after the surgery, they were able to press a button which would release the neccessary ions or whatnot to stimulate his pleasure center at will... they gave him the button, and let him use it for an hour, and found that he clicked it an average of once every two seconds, i think, for the entire hour... anyways, this man was severely depressed and gay... they wanted to see if they could change this... so they put him in a room to watch straight porn with the pleasure button, and after however many sessions (of obvious conditioning), they brought in a prostitute (haha, this was obviously years ago --- imagine proposing this to an ethics board nowadays ), and he was turned on, had sex (first time with a woman), enojyed it, etc.... anyways, they followed up on him (i forget if he was allowed to keep the button or not --- probably not), and a month or so later, he was much less depressed, and said he had been enjoying both guys and girls now i know this isn't exactly what you were talking about... but it's just an interesting experiment from back in the day when they had no ethical constraints haha, showing the extent to which we can fundamentally manipulate our brains It wasn't an experiment. It was done to try to treat epilepsy (I think, I could be remembering this wrong) and this was an unintended side effect. I'm pretty sure I read about it in my neuroscience book. There was no mention of the porn and sex thing, sounds made up to me. I will try to dig up the reference and post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaolin_28 Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 If you can find them, the experiments were done by Heath at Tulane. Heath, R.G. (1963) Electrical self-stimulation of the brain in man. American Journal of Psychiatry 120: 571-577. Moan, C.E., & Heath, R.G. (1972) Septal stimulation for the initiation of heterosexual activity in a homosexual male. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 3: 23-30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Moan, C.E., & Heath, R.G. (1972) Septal stimulation for the initiation of heterosexual activity in a homosexual male. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 3: 23-30. haha, too perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattg Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 I'm not sure who it was... maybe that's the source (it definately sounds like it)... I can't remember if it was to treat epilepsy or not initially... i don't think so... could be wrong though, it was a year or so ago i read it (i read it in some book about weird experiments) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 This is what I think about every time I see the title of this thread: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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