I don’t consider myself as morally prude, so no moralistic judgement was intended. I see where you’re coming from when you put meditation and exercise as “superstimuli”, while I didn’t necessarily: that was a bias on my part due to...
...the angle from which I was approaching this research was mainly to find a way to tackle akrasia, lack of motivation and social anxiety. I figured that central to these activities was the pleasure circuitry of the brain, so in my dilettante’s knowledge of neuroscience, I looked for a way of sensitizing this response. Abstinence from stimuli that was possibly hijacking my efforts was the only reliable way I found. Meditation and exercise would serve to aid the goals of increasing self-control, so I wouldn’t fail at abstaining, and giving a healthy alternative that would get my mind off of these “hijacks”, or limiters, or whatever word you want to use to neutrally frame things.
So, I guess you’re right to say that this wasn’t about superstimulus in and of itself. I apologize for the confusion.
Also, I understand why having “enough” could be a way of managing one’s want of superstimulus, but the idea is that when you’re addicted, “enough” is a moving target. The only way to become “un-addicted” would be to abstain, or at to least titrate downwards. If the thesis behind “Your Brain on Porn” is correct, then this period of rebooting is necessary if one is to properly manage one’s addictions to a certain superstimulus, especially if the addiction is strong. Otherwise, there is always going to be some level of control that is taken away.
Karezza was touted as an alternative to full intercourse. I don’t know much else.
I don’t consider myself as morally prude, so no moralistic judgement was intended. I see where you’re coming from when you put meditation and exercise as “superstimuli”, while I didn’t necessarily: that was a bias on my part due to...
...the angle from which I was approaching this research was mainly to find a way to tackle akrasia, lack of motivation and social anxiety. I figured that central to these activities was the pleasure circuitry of the brain, so in my dilettante’s knowledge of neuroscience, I looked for a way of sensitizing this response. Abstinence from stimuli that was possibly hijacking my efforts was the only reliable way I found. Meditation and exercise would serve to aid the goals of increasing self-control, so I wouldn’t fail at abstaining, and giving a healthy alternative that would get my mind off of these “hijacks”, or limiters, or whatever word you want to use to neutrally frame things.
So, I guess you’re right to say that this wasn’t about superstimulus in and of itself. I apologize for the confusion.
Also, I understand why having “enough” could be a way of managing one’s want of superstimulus, but the idea is that when you’re addicted, “enough” is a moving target. The only way to become “un-addicted” would be to abstain, or at to least titrate downwards. If the thesis behind “Your Brain on Porn” is correct, then this period of rebooting is necessary if one is to properly manage one’s addictions to a certain superstimulus, especially if the addiction is strong. Otherwise, there is always going to be some level of control that is taken away.
Karezza was touted as an alternative to full intercourse. I don’t know much else.