The brain loves a pleasant surprise...

The brain likes to be pleasantly surprised--it triggers the pleasure centers. Something we probably knew, but here we have lent support to the hypothesis. (Full article link below)

Reminds me of something they did with rats. They attached a little electrode to the medial forebrain bundle of the rats(the pleasure center of the brain). The rats learned that they could push a bar to deliver a little "shock" to their MFB.

Would you believe it? Even starving rats would rather stimulate their MFB than eat. These poor little rats pushed that bar until their legs were tired--some would turn around and push the bar with their behinds. Some starved to death and died (even though food was available).

Facinated by these finding, researchers asked prison inmates to volunteer to have an electrode planted in their MFB. The convicts said it was incredible--like a thousand orgasms.

(Added note: Whenever we feel pleasure, it is usually acting on dopamine and the pleasure pathway.)

I like this stuff about the pleasure pathway...I think addictions (even healthy ones like "seriel entrepreneurship") ARE addicting because of our pleasure pathway.

Becky




Give your brain a surprise!