What is the nature of euphoria?

[djama]

Just a few things happened recently that made swim question whether different people have different ideas about what actually constitutes 'euphoria'.

Swim has always related it to a state swim experienced on smack once - it was like swim and his friends were all five years old and particularly swim remembers rolling down a green hill with very long, very soft grass.

There was a marvellous sense of child-joy but swim was really only aware of swim's immediate environment, ie the long grass, swim was literally 'oblivious' to everything else, eg there was no awareness of swim's 'cultural context'. Swim associateD this combination of BOTH hyper-happiness and obliviousness with the term 'euphoria'.

Recently swim has had a different experience which included a tremendous yet calm bliss and it accompanied a state of hyper-awareness. Swim felt swim was aware of everything and in particular the positivity of everything. It didnt feel like there was any kind of 'obliviousness' at all. Yet swim has heard people talk about such experiences as 'euphoria' so swim is trying to find out - what do all you guys mean when you say, 'euphoria'? Does it include 'obliviousness' or not?

Reputation Comments on this post:

	self incrimination (I experienced on smack once)
	You should know the rules on self incrimination by now
	Edit self-incrimination out of your post! Someone already reminded you of this. You are a silver member so you need to...
	Very intriguing post :)

[Nahbus]

Well, the definition is a feeling of happiness and well-being.

[podge]

dont you mean an experience " SWIM had on smack ".....!

[bewilderment]

Originally Posted by Nahbus

Well, the definition is a feeling of happiness and well-being.

Exactly, that is the core of euphoria and hence it's nature. Although, there are different types of euphoria to be experienced. Many events in life create euphoria as well as many drugs, but it's simply easier to refer to drugs and their particular type of euphoria. For example, amphetamine causes a certain sort of euphoria which may include being happy while doing everyday chores which one usually dreads as well as physical euphoria such as tingling and enhanced tactile sensations. Also, the psychological euphoria of productivity and perhaps being more inclined towards novel ideas.

Different hallucinogens may also create this sort of euphoria. Some include the sort of obliviousness you describe while some produce a state of lucidity (or seeming lucidity in any case, no matter how far one may be off the mark in regard to the actual state of things) either of which can be euphoric. Epiphanies which occur in altered states also contribute to the euphoria as well as general physical sensations which just feel good and the visuals which are intriguing as it is likely to make one question what one has assumed about the world and emperialism. This can be eye-opening and thus euphoric.

Opiates tend to create the same sort of euphoria minus the visuals and possible physical stimulation of hallucinogens (aside from deleriants and dissociatives of which dissociatives cause yet another type of euphoria but I don't know about deleriants). They may make one feel content with the world regardless of what has been bothering them.

Also, when one feels the "oneness" or connectedness during a trip or whatever sort of experience then this is euphoric as humans are social creatures and the loneliness of the physical shell subsides for awhile. Euphoria is basically just when one truly comes to realize the notion of "don't sweat the small stuff" relax, enjoy the ride, and do what you can to help others along the way. This contributes to the addictive aspects of drug-use (psychological) for people who use to "escape"...they may be worrying themselves to death about things which don't even matter when all is said in done so they do drugs, feel content, and assume it's just the drug when really it is the psychological and physical impact of the drug and one can induce many states of euphoria by will simply by understanding how things work, accepting things which cannot be changed due to their inherit nature in reality, and living a life which is true to your principles (the "better" one's principles, the happier the person will be by living by these).

[djama]

Originally Posted by podge

dont you mean an experience " SWIM had on smack ".....!

What's 'smack'? Sorry, yes, swim.
I know the dictionary definition but dd's arent always the meaning that people use. For example, I know that a 'moot point' is a relevant point in the dictionary but in life it is used in its exact opposite meaning, ie an irrelevant point. I had got the impression that 'euphoria' generally included a kind of obliviousness combined with the bliss - it seems that is not how other people understand it which is what I suspected - thanks.

[djama]

djama has read rules as advised and is most contrite - now that he knows who swim is, he will be balming him for everything.

Reputation Comments on this post:

swiy is learning well

[podge]

swiy should use his powers of editing now that he understands the rules....

[Forthesevenlakes]

Originally Posted by bewilderment

Euphoria is basically just when one truly comes to realize the notion of "don't sweat the small stuff" relax, enjoy the ride, and do what you can to help others along the way.

SWIM would agree with this. much of the euphoria he has experienced, both using hallucinogens and when sober, has been accompanied by cognitions such as, "why does everyone in the world worry so much about silly things? most things that people stress over; money, fame, etc. arent even important in the long run!" realizing that good friends and a good outlook are two of the only things one needs (aside from food and shelter) can be a very liberating thing, and can certainly trigger euphoria. its just that fully realizing this might be easier to do with some hallucinogens.

opiates seem to trigger a different kind of euphoria for swim, but some of his thought processes are the same. but with opiates he will oddly enough often think about what he can do to help others, and then going out and do that. even if its something as simple as holding a door open, or calling up a friend who needs consoling.

everyone experiences these things differently but i think bewilderment summed it up wonderfully.

[djama]

Originally Posted by podge

swiy should use his powers of editing now that he understands the rules....

Blaming people is inflammatory whereas balming them is soothing.

Reputation Comments on this post:

loltastic

[bottlekop]

Originally Posted by forthesevenlakes

opiates seem to trigger a different kind of euphoria for swim, but some of his thought processes are the same. but with opiates he will oddly enough often think about what he can do to help others, and then going out and do that. even if its something as simple as holding a door open, or calling up a friend who needs consoling.

everyone experiences these things differently but i think bewilderment summed it up wonderfully.

yes, very true.

Swim also feels a strong sense of good will to others, and wants them to be as happy as he is on his opiod majic .

swim feels as though he wants to change things for the better, and he has changed his sober exhistance to follow this as well. The opiod euphoria has taught swim something.

[dnb warrior]

when SWIM is peaking on MDMA he feels loved up and open and caring towards others... however he thinks the period just after he is starting to come down combined with a few joints is even more euphoric, although he is not as loved up or open... SWIM's friend described the feeling at this point as being simply "warm and fuzzy inside"...

which SWIM would agree is probably the best way of putting it into words. It feels like SWIMs insides, his heart, lungs, brain and digestive system have all been removed and replaced with fluffy teddy bear material... it's not so much a sense of not sweating the small stuff, but last time on MDMA SWIM actually tried to concentrate on all the stuff thats been stressing him and worrying him (of which theres a fair bit) and though he tried he couldn't focus for more than 5 seconds before his thoughts were blocked by a barrier of completely pure, meaningless pleasure, like a rainbow in his head! (but he doesn't know why a rainbow feel so good... it just does!)

SWIM cant speak about opiates since he has never taken them but he tries to imagine they are more like a numbing of pain... in the same way a paracetamol numbs the pain of a headache he imagines an opiate would numb all the pain of everything...
if that is the case then i'm not sure that he wants to find out...

[bottlekop]

------

[Nicaine]

Euphoria is indeed an interesting concept. For example, is a feeling of inner peace/contentment necessary? If so, then opiates cause euphoria but stimulants probably do not (one could call the stimulant sensation 'elation' if desired). Probably just a matter of semantics. Euphoria is whatever the person experiencing it defines it as. A yogi lying on a bed of nails may well feel a subjective sensation of euphoria.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

most euphoric sensastion swims ever felt is the first time swim took a triple dose of hydrocodone. pure orgasmic bliss for 2 hours. makes swim almost consider trying h one of these days, almost.

But to bake everyones noodles, how would we know what happiness was if there was no suffereing to be the opposite feeling? Thats why I think that if there is an afterlife, it's not going to be an ideal paradise of eternal happiness.

[djama]

Sorry it took swim so long to edit original post - didnt realise that was what was being asked - just thought it was a 'from now on' type of caution as it seemed that it was a bit 'too late' for the other - but op now compliant - mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

[The_Great_Sage]

For me euphoria is pretty much a place where i can confront the worries and bad things in my life and i can feel good. It's a place where i can have the good and kinda mentally take care of the bad. and it usually is brought upon by some drug use. I have found that euphoria is sort of a paradox for me. It is like I can get there easily but need some sort of stimuli. but when there it is as if i need nothing and could live like that for ever with no extreme material attatchment. Yet most of the time it i material things that enabled me to ge there in the first place. though i am sure it is somewhere i will be again agian in my life it still remains an enigma for now.

[quili]

Swim likes this post! When swim thinks about euphoria- for herself- she thinks of her best trip yet on shrooms, lollapalooza, a few other really good concerts, and a couple moments where everything just "felt right." However, the definition (obviously) varies from person to person. Swim likes that the most euphoric feelings for her happen with and without substances. Not that it is better or worse, but she likes that for herself.

There's all those brain chemicals to consider too- serotonin, dopamine, etc (swim doesn't know a whole lot, but some about these). Swim's friend even after the first time of using cocaine was blown away, euphoria was how she described it. Whereas swim's response "eh, it's okay, I guess."

So for swim, euphoria seems to either involve some abnormally exceptional and moving music experience or what other people have mentioned above- a feeling of overall contentment and calm sometimes accompanied by a sort of epiphany and sometimes just felt in the gut.

It doesn't seem to be the absence of pain, though. Opiates haven't given swim the sense of euphoria others describe, but she hasn't had too much experience with them yet.

[RJeez]

Real euphoria is in the mind,which is why mushies give the best euphoria,by miles.(And the worst dysphoria too!)

[namooP]

By definition, there isnt a \"best euphoria\". I find euphoria to mean perfection in a moment.

[Solidly-here]

Euphoria: It means different things to different people.

First, not everyone can feel the same emotions (or the depth of the emotions).
For some of these people, euphoria is a much "smaller" feeling of glee.
For me, euphoria is that child-like giddy-ness.

Second, even people who are talking about the same feeling, will have trouble describing exactly what it is. So, I can use words to describe my perception of a "classic" euphoric feeling, but you will not understand what I am saying.

Third, euphoria is intensely personal. Even I do not know (after it's over) what exactly I felt. But Nahbus has it fairly well: "feeling of happiness and well-being."

[RJeez]

Only hallucinogenics give you true euphoria,then.

[420kid]

Is there any way to experience sum kind of euphoria without drugs?

[unnamednn]

SWIM experienced different types of euphoria on different substances but the most amazing euphoric feelings always occur when he is in love and is high on something euphoric at the same time.
SWIM thinks that there is no way words can describe this incredible feeling he gets which leads from love and euphoria and connects all of his senses to a sort of 'universal affectivity'.
SWIM also thinks that placebo has a very important role to play in this kind of experience.

[Richi]

Nature of euphoria?

I would say serotonin, and dopamine. And drugs that act in such ways.