6
votes
Can you overdose on happiness? The science and philosophy of deep brain stimulation.
Link information
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- Title
- Can You Overdose on Happiness? - Issue 60: Searches - Nautilus
- Authors
- Lone Frank
- Published
- May 3 2018
- Word count
- 3887 words
I know it's a doozy of a read but it's well worth it IMO... beyond just describing the studies, results and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation it goes into great detail about the many moral, ethical and even purely philosophical concerns that such treatment brings up.
Should we have the right to "reboot" (through electro-convulsive therapy) or "reprogram" (through deep brain stimulation) our brains, altering them at such a fundamental level? And with the incredible risks and side effects involved are these treatments even compatible with the Hippocratic oath? Not easy questions to answer.
As someone who has suffered from debilitating mental health issues most of my life, deep brain stimulation looks incredibly promising but also more than a bit terrifying as well. Similar to ECT, which I have also considered having done but decided against after witnessing a close friend go through it and nearly completely forgetting who I and her other friends were as a result. It ultimately worked for her and she is now leading a "normal" productive life... but at what cost? Certainly not one I’m willing to pay. :(
This is one of the most interesting topics in psychology I've ever come across. It's addiction without all the fluff that usually happens around it. It puts into question the value of "happiness" on its own, that it serves as something to strive towards ("desire") but loses almost all meaning once it is achieved. It's kinda terrifying if you think of how this is essentially the only mechanism that makes us do anything, yet it is so fragile and easy to manipulate.
I remember reading about the story mentioned late in the article, of a woman who had electrodes implanted in the pleasure center of her brain and stopped caring about anything in life but pressing the button that stimulated it. I had no idea this is still a relevant method of treatment and more so, has been refined to a point where it can be adjusted to good levels, apparently.
The thought of being able to simply turn a dial to increase your happiness certainly does call into question a whole lot of our presumptions about meaning and purpose in life, doesn't it? Existential crises just got a whole lot more complicated.