The Brain Needs Downs to Have Ups

  • Published: 07-21-2014 Edited: 07-21-2014
  • "Four neurochemicals cause happiness: endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin. Each evolved to do a different job. When you know what the job is, you know why your happy chemicals can't be on all the time."

    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-neurochemical-self/201105/the-brain-needs-downs-have-ups



    "Endorphins evolved to mask pain. If you're escaping a predator, neurochemical euphoria promotes survival by mask pain until you're in a safe place. But the rest of the time, masking pain does not promote survival. You would run on a broken leg and touch hot stoves if your endorphins flowed all the time. You would not be better off because pain holds survival information. You did not evolve to be on an endorphin high all the time."

    Endorphins trigger our fight or flight responses and also creates intense emotions of joy and fear. It acts like a supervisor which makes us take care of our human needs and avoid danger. Endorphins also trigger amygdala hijack, a phenomena where we are forced into our Organic encoding were there is treatening stimuli.

    "Dopamine sparks you when you're near an important reward. If you were climbing a tree for a juicy piece of fruit, dopamine triggers the boost that gets you up the last few branches. If your dopamine flowed all the time, you would invest energy in everything, rewarding or not. Your reserve tank of energy is available for things that matter because your dopamine only turns on for things that are important. You did not evolve to be on a dopamine high at every moment."

    Dopamine works primarily with attention. Activating us to enter a task-positive state when presented with salient stimuli but also to make us sustain focusing on a goal over prolonged period of time. Like a carrot-on-a-stick, dopamine infuces us with anticipation, with this anticipation we get energy of sustaining our attention to the goal. Often the reward for accomplishing the goal is not "the kick" itself, but the anticipation of sustaining action towards the goal is "the kick" itself.

    Executors in Neojungian Typology have a preferred / natural state of high-dopamine. This makes them prefer having goal-directed attention, this also makes them frustrated by changing goals or understanding new stimuli for prolonged period of time. When Executors articulate they will also increase motivation and goal-anticipation among others, increasing dopamine for the group.

    Processors in Neojungian Typology have a preferred / natural state of low-dopamine. This makes them prefer having stimulus-driven attention, this also makes them frustrated by being goal-directed for prolonged period of time. When Processors articulate they will also balance motivation and goal-anticipation in relation to information among others, decreasing dopamine for the group.



    "Oxytocin stimulates the feeling we humans experience as trust. If it flowed all the time, you'd trust people you shouldn't oughta trust. Orgasm and giving birth trigger oxytocin, as does a massage. All mammals release oxytocin when they're born, triggering attachment to their mother. More is stimulated when a mother mammal licks or holds her child. Mammals transfer their attachment from a mother to a herd or pack or troop, and these social alliances also trigger oxytocin. The bigger a mammal's brain, the pickier they are about which social alliances to trust. You would not be better off if your oxtyocin surged all the time."

    I Neojungian Typology, types with Organic Execution (OE) will naturally increase oxytocin in themselves and others during articulation. This is because they express non-verbal / implicit schemas with which people can build trust and and social belief with.

    "Serotonin flows in an amoeba when it can safely to feed. Humans have more serotonin in the stomach than the brain because our ancestors fed when it was safe. Mammals often have their food stolen by more dominant mammals. It's safe to eat when you can dominate, and that's when serotonin rises. Feeling on top boosts serotonin, as challenging as the idea is to modern sensibilities. If your serotonin were high all the time, you'd constantly one-up others and make yourself a big pain in the neck."

    Serotonin is much related to the emotional experience, feelings of safety and feelings of anxiety and despair.

    In the Neojungian Typology, types with Deterministic Execution (DE) will naturally increase serotonin in themselves and others during articulation. This is because they explicitly verbalize information and direction which has a safe and comforting effect on people.