Good or bad, curiosity is woven into our DNA like tonsils or the opposable thumb. It's the fire under the feet of the human experience.
Weil argues that people take drugs because they are means of satisfying an inner need for experiencing other forms of consciousness. He believes that the desire to alter consciousness periodically is an innate, normal drive equivalent to hunger or sexual drive.
Are people born with a desire to change their levels of consciousness? No. Rather, they are born with a basic curiosity about the world around them. Curiosity is defined as an eagerness to know about something or to get information. The concept of curiosity is central to motivation. The term can be used as both a description of a specific behavior as well as a hypothetical construct to explain the same behavior. Curiosity is a motivational prerequisite for exploratory behavior. As people go through life they are presented with many situations and subjects which peak this eagerness for knowledge. As a result, they may experiment with various devices that alter their consciousness.
Weil tries to compare the desire for altering one's state of consciousness to that of the feeling of hunger or the desire for sex. Yet hunger and arousal are two processes which create a chemical change in the body. Ghrelin is a hormone which is thought to trigger hunger. Ghrelin levels increase dramatically before a meal and then are suppressed for about three hours after eating a meal. Sexual arousal is caused by changes in hormonal levels. Is there a chemical that is released in the brain or in the body that makes a person want to change their perception? A person's body may end up craving a drug due to excessive use, but their body did not originally require that drug.
Weil's example of children forcing themselves to hyperventilate, having other children squeeze them around the chest, or choking each other to produce a loss of consciousness is a good example of curiosity, not an innate desire to alter consciousness. While sitting on the playground, does a child suddenly wonder "if I get choked am going see the world differently?" More probable is the fact that the child saw another classmate partake in this activity and they themselves wanted to try it, or through peer pressure they were forced to try it.
In a novella by Ayn Rand called Anthem, creativity is a sin, punishable by lashes or, if severe enough, death. Curiosity, because it is one of the branches of creativity, is also a great wrongdoing. In the beginning, Equality 7-2521 talked of his sins and that the curse he has that causes his curiosity “is our wonder and our secret fear, that we know and do not resist” (18). Technology, although incredibly mindboggling, was the reason he feared the repercussions of his thought-crimes.
Curiosity is often defined as a strong desire to know or learn something. Being filled to the brim with curiosity is one of the most amazing feelings. Finding something you are interested in and wanting to know every single thing there is to know about it. Being inquisitive is such a powerful thing, always wanting to see more, to hear more, to do more, to be more. It makes people who they are, if someone is not very curious, they might be very dull because they know what they know and they are content with that. It is the naturally curious people that get more out of life, because they are always searching for something more, something bigger and brighter, and often they find it. But, in certain situations, being overly curious can land you in a place you did not plan on being and a place you do not want to be. This shows through certain works of literature, for example, Charles Perrault’s story “Bluebeard”. Through the ages, this story has been tagged as one about the negative effects of female curiosity. Bluebeard’s wife in the story is given a key by her husband to a locked door in their home. She is told to not go in that specific room, but overwhelmed with curiosity she does anyway. Another work, a film in fact, The Piano directed by Jane Campion, is an adaptation of “Bluebeard” and makes some very distinct references to it. The Piano also points to themes of female curiosity through the main character Ada McGrath. Ada is married to a man named Alistair whom she had never met. She begins to have an affair with another man, named George Baines, under unusual circumstances. Her husband finds out and naturally blames it on her “female curiosity”, and proceeds to punish her. Her punishment is similar to the pu...
The cognitive behavioral models say that incentives make way for the right conditions for the need for drug abuse. Drug use is associated with experiences such as self-exploration, religious insights, altering moods, escaping boredom or despair, enhancing creativity, performance, sensory experience or pleasure, and so on (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). Cognitive behaviorism has brought in appreciated data at the same time refining theories and treatments. This model stands out from other addiction models because it stands out from the expressive, organic or public causes for addiction. Because it focuses on the patient's own beliefs rather than the influence is the primary focus. The mental process of cognition is related to perception, judgment and reasoning. Cognitive behaviorism affects a person mentally as well as their physical reaction to stimuli. Example, if a person is depressed, the depression is mental but when a person cannot get out of bed, doesn’t want to eat or don’t want to partake in other activities that they usually do is the physical. The factor that can cause a person to use are become a victim to substance abuse and began drug addiction by using drugs to get away from or numb themselves from their depression.
middle of paper ... ... Our curiosity is what makes our interactions interesting and entertaining. As members of society, it is our innate ability to wander further than what we have in front of us. We want to impose our opinions on everything.
Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)
Addiction is a disease that causes many neurological effects on the brain. In fact, addiction is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the standard reference for psychiatric illnesses (DSM-5) and it affects ten percent of the population (Understanding). Most drugs release chemicals that effects the mid-brain and changes its chemical make up. Specifically, nerve cells in the brain release dopamine when humans engage in pleasurable activities, like eating good food, exercise, and sex (Understanding). This causes the person to seek out that pleasurable activity again and again (Substance Abuse). Drugs, from alcohol and marijuana to heroin, also cause the brain to release dopamine, but faster and stronger than most activities. (Mandal) With repeated use, the addict becomes accustomed to this stronger, quicker pleasure sensation and can no longer feel the milder pleases of normal activity. In this way, the brain becomes “broken,” and the addict continues to seek that good feeling only experienced with drugs (Substanc...
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
Drugs are recognized as the forbidden realm by society that satisfies an inner drive. As individuals, we often examine why people use drugs instead of why society condemns a variety of drugs. Andrew Weil, the author of Why People Take Drugs, analyzes the emotional bias and different conceptions of what drugs are, and how the desire for an altered consciousness is an innate trait. Weil applies his personal experience, and the study of children as they grow as his evidence to support the idea that as humans the desire for this altered mental perception exists from birth. Although studies do not focus on where the longing for an altered consciousness evolved from, Weil’s hypothesis and evidence is convincing that this drive is innate. Thus,
In certain circumstances, the consumption of drugs might have had originated because of a psychological disorder that needed drugs in order for t...
Typically, almost everyone in the world has taken drugs at some point in their life. Whether it be over the counter medication or prescription drugs. People get sick, they have illness, allegories, sexually transmitted diseases or other aches and pains. As you may already know, there is medication for each aforementioned problem. This is called drug use, which is using drugs for its intended purpose. However, the real dilemma happens when people began to misuse and abuse drugs.
Curiosity is a personality trait that everyone has in some way or another throughout their whole life. How it is defined, however, is up for debate. Many people consider curiosity to be simply a desire to learn and know, but scholars tend to take the meaning deeper. George Loewenstein (1994) describes curiosity as the attraction to information that “confers no extrinsic benefit,” so people tend to delve more deeply into things than would serve to help them somehow. To define it in a more distinctive manner from other traits such as novelty-seeking, one may say curiosity is a, “positive emotional-motivational system associated with the recognition, pursuit, and self-regulation of novel and challenging opportunities” (Kashdan 2004). Researchers
Without contrast, the primary reason for drug abuse in individuals comes from the conscious state of addiction. According to Webster’s, addiction is described as “the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity (Hacker, 2011).” Sure, human nature’s desire to conform to peer pressure might cause one to first try a certain drug, but the euphoric mental states found in drugs mentally trap many individuals into becoming dependent upon these sensations. With that being said, these sensations vary depending on the type of drug used.
...er says, that “eventually, the drugs decrease the person’s ability to experience pleasure without a drug” (Torr 13).
There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.