Monday, January 01, 2007

brain, emotions, neuroscience

Is there more to emotions than synapses?
Can emotions be brought about by altering things chemically? In that case, can we actually ensure happiness perpetually if neuroscience progresses enough? As in, can their essentially be a pill for happiness?
another one for removing fear, another one for controlling anger? I guess the anti-depressants etc are extreme forms of the same? However, like vitamin tablets, can there be pills for the healthy people, to be taken daily?
The debate may well ensue that this is "wrong" since it would be tampering with nature and interfering in something which is functioning well on its own accord?

but i do not agree with this functioning well. As we have progressed as a species, we have still at loss when it comes to being happier than we were an unevolved animals. We have interfered enough with nature when we have built shelters from concrete and steel and when we have prolonged life expectancy with medicines. This was done to reduce pain, to make people happy and to explore further in life. Then why not go that one step and also attack the problem at its base? As in, when we "feel" happiness for something, why focus on getting the thing rather than just altering chemicals within the brain to get the happiness directly?