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Can You Overdose on Happiness?

nautil.us

61–65 of 65 posts

Re: Can You Overdose on Happiness?

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there scientific evidence that the more we have highly happy moments the more we have highly suffering moments? I does not match my experience of life.

I think it's more of the other way around. To have happy moments you have to have suffering moments to compare to how bad it could be. Basically: who gets happier when they get a gift? Someone who doesn't get gifts a lot, or someone who's always getting gifts?

Bingo!

Re: Can You Overdose on Happiness?

#62

Some 8 years or so ago I experimented with triggering mood changes using a meditative technique. I had long been doing 'centering' meditative exercises so that I could bring more focus and clarity to seated practice. I wanted something more practical that would affect my everyday life. I eventually settled on two 'states'. A 'centered' state and a 'joyful' one. Any time I noticed myself outside of one of the two stat…

I too have bumped into this during meditation, but being in my early 20s and not having a teacher or instructions, I ODed on bliss. I was living in a state of bliss I could turn up and down for years. I could turn it up so high I'd pass out from it. After years of this, something happened and I stopped being able to feel bliss at all. It was like a part of my neurology had been fried. I assumed it was something I had…

Yeah, another reason I eventually gave it up. Emotions are ultimately more fun when you mix them together like music, not just hit one high note all the time.

Re: Can You Overdose on Happiness?

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too have bumped into this during meditation, but being in my early 20s and not having a teacher or instructions, I ODed on bliss. I was living in a state of bliss I could turn up and down for years. I could turn it up so high I'd pass out from it. After years of this, something happened and I stopped being able to feel bliss at all. It was like a part of my neurology had been fried. I assumed it was something I had…

Yeah, another reason I eventually gave it up. Emotions are ultimately more fun when you mix them together like music, not just hit one high note all the time.

Really it comes down to a middle ground and not overdoing too much of a good thing.

Re: Can You Overdose on Happiness?

#65
post #11

Happiness = Money + Children http://archive.is/LvxSN

I recall Daniel Kahneman concluded the opposite: happiness is largely a function of spending time with people you love (not including children), and life-satisfaction is largely a function of plain old career success.
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