Excellent presentation by psychologist Daniel Lisle. The first half goes into the biological and neurological reasons for craving and pleasure seeking. The second applies this to food and eating a healthy diet. Many of the concepts here are applicable to the mind in general and I drew many parallels to Buddhist practice.
You can skip the first 3 minutes to get right to the talk.
The Pleasure Trap
The Pleasure Trap
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Re: The Pleasure Trap
So so people have temporary messed up (desensitized) their brain by eating too much crap, fat, sugar, salt, etc? What...they cant even enjoy or taste a salad? So they need to go on a juice fast or water rehab?
Why is it so hard indeed?
"As the Buddha notes, we hope for happiness in sensual pleasures not because they've ever really satisfied us but because we can't imagine any other escape from pain and suffering." (Thanissaro)
Why is it so hard indeed?
"As the Buddha notes, we hope for happiness in sensual pleasures not because they've ever really satisfied us but because we can't imagine any other escape from pain and suffering." (Thanissaro)
- purple planet
- Posts: 728
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:07 am
Re: The Pleasure Trap
Ever sense university i got to the idea that most of the "fun stuff" are just an escape - cause when you need to study boring stuff - you start to get extremely hungry and really want to listen to music -"As the Buddha notes, we hope for happiness in sensual pleasures not because they've ever really satisfied us but because we can't imagine any other escape from pain and suffering." (Thanissaro)
so if i like more lets say pizza then ice cream does it say pizza helps me "escape" more ? or lets say foods that have the same calories - lets say banana and an apple - does one of them give more "escape" then the other ?
Re: The Pleasure Trap
I would think banana and apple are pretty similar and healthy foods.
As Thanissaro writes about we all feed on different experiences, and nibbana being the end of this feeding or outside of it is the highest happiness.
The issue is more with certain foods warping the brain over the long term...
As Thanissaro writes about we all feed on different experiences, and nibbana being the end of this feeding or outside of it is the highest happiness.
The issue is more with certain foods warping the brain over the long term...
There is some talk of arahant just eating for sustenance, not for enjoyment or anything else right? Any evidence they understood the warping influence of food?"A new study in rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study fohttp://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foo ... ex.htmlund.
- purple planet
- Posts: 728
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:07 am
Re: The Pleasure Trap
Same with music ? a very good song warps the brain (escapes the brain) longer then a less good song ?
Re: The Pleasure Trap
Not inconceivable.purple planet wrote:Same with music ? a very good song warps the brain (escapes the brain) longer then a less good song ?
One must wonder why we have the seventh precept.
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
Re: The Pleasure Trap
purple planet wrote:Same with music ? a very good song warps the brain (escapes the brain) longer then a less good song ?
But i have found that the liking or disliking of any song is dependent more so to the sensations that course within us at a particular given time . Same song heard at a different time does not evoke the same sense of involvement , as that earlier . Also find this happening with other objects of my attention and interest .
Hence the exhortation of all the Buddhas " Mind matters most , Everything is mind made ", becomes a wonderful motivator .
sanjay
The Path of Dhamma
The path of Dhamma is no picnic . It is a strenuous march steeply up the hill . If all the comrades desert you , Walk alone ! Walk alone ! with all the Thrill !!
U S.N. Goenka
The path of Dhamma is no picnic . It is a strenuous march steeply up the hill . If all the comrades desert you , Walk alone ! Walk alone ! with all the Thrill !!
U S.N. Goenka