psychological endorphins...?

[rocketman]

one phenomenon that we are all familiar with but not maybe consciously cognizant of is the sudden burst of energy we get when doing something we enjoy, even if it is a nonphysical activity.

i have recently become much more aware of this and have been planning things i enjoy (such as pleasure reading, web surfing) during the times of the day when i feel a major energy lull. it's obvious, but i have found this to be very effective in giving a sudden boost of energy.

what exactly is this process called? i am aware that when doing some sort of physical activity, you experience 'runner's high' as the ensuing endorphins release increase energy levels. is this the same for non-physical activities?

in essence, what is the science behind the mere psychological mood shift inducing a physical energy increase, and more importantly, how can we use this to our advantage to "trick" our bodies into optimal productivity?

thanks.

[joelr]

Video games and (for some people) internet activities, increase dopamine levels.
Physical activity and high fat/sugar foods add endorphins, dyorphins etc.. to the mix.
Falling in love adds natural opiates which go to opiate receptors and signal the release of just about every feel good chemical.
Opiates made from opiate plants (morphine, heroin) or altered in a lab to become opioids (oxycodone) act the same way but force an even larger release of these chemicals which is why they are so addictive and risky to experiment with.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by rocketman

....more importantly, how can we use this to our advantage to "trick" our bodies into optimal productivity?

We can use NLP techniques to feel however we want to, whenever we want to.

[rocketman]

Originally Posted by Angela

We can use NLP techniques to feel however we want to, whenever we want to.

angela: would this be a reference to the youtube clip you have linked me before? is there something in the rhythm/pattern of your voice that increases dopamine?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by rocketman

angela: would this be a reference to the youtube clip you have linked me before? is there something in the rhythm/pattern of your voice that increases dopamine?

I'm not sure which clip you're talking about -- do you mean my own hypnotic videos? That's not what I'm talking about, but yes, you can use voice rhythms and patterns to alter your state.

I was talking about some very specific and quick NLP patterns for instantly shifting your state. For instance, there's a "drunk pattern," with which you can either experience a live endorphin rush or recreate one, anchor it, and have it any time you like. There are others, as well; if one doesn't work well for you, there are more to choose from that will.

[rocketman]

Originally Posted by joelr

Video games and (for some people) internet activities, increase dopamine levels.
Physical activity and high fat/sugar foods add endorphins, dyorphins etc.. to the mix.
Falling in love adds natural opiates which go to opiate receptors and signal the release of just about every feel good chemical.
Opiates made from opiate plants (morphine, heroin) or altered in a lab to become opioids (oxycodone) act the same way but force an even larger release of these chemicals which is why they are so addictive and risky to experiment with.

thanks, great response! so my question is, how does this work in relation to sleep/drowsiness...?

for example, coffee binds to adenosine receptors, essentially "tricking" our bodies into not feeling sleepy. so what does dopamine, endorphins, and dyorphins do in the body that take away the feeling of sleepiness? they obviously don't bind to anything as they are natural chemicals within the body, so are they just neutralizing whatever impulse signals sleep?

[rocketman]

Originally Posted by Angela

I'm not sure which clip you're talking about -- do you mean my own hypnotic videos? That's not what I'm talking about, but yes, you can use voice rhythms and patterns to alter your state.

I was talking about some very specific and quick NLP patterns for instantly shifting your state. For instance, there's a "drunk pattern," with which you can either experience a live endorphin rush or recreate one, anchor it, and have it any time you like. There are others, as well; if one doesn't work well for you, there are more to choose from that will.

yea, i was talking about your hypnotic videos, which btw i found to be very soothing. :-)

could you point me in the direction of what you speak of in the latter paragraph?

i should probably just take a course on neurology and spare everyone here the trouble. :-)

[Angela]

Originally Posted by rocketman

yea, i was talking about your hypnotic videos, which btw i found to be very soothing. :-)

could you point me in the direction of what you speak of in the latter paragraph?

i should probably just take a course on neurology and spare everyone here the trouble. :-)

Thank you!

The book, "NLP for Dummies" describes the techniques for altering your state really well, and they're easy to do. I don't remember if the "Drunk Pattern" (with which you can recreate any state, not just drunkenness) is in that book; it's sort of an advanced technique -- but you could still learn it on your own.

You might want to attend one of the intro to NLP courses that most trainers give -- they'll give you a taste of the patterns and actually show you how to use them. Or book an hour with a practitioner, and ask her specifically for what you want -- changing your state. It's more fun, and deeper, to actually do them with another human being.

Here's a video of Derren Brown doing the Drunk Pattern with a student -- it's pretty funny!

[James81]

Originally Posted by Angela

-- do you mean my own hypnotic videos?

I'd be interested in seeing these.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by James81

I'd be interested in seeing these.

They're on youtube, just little tastes of the hypnosis I do in my practice, and vision and belief boards: Feel Good On Purpose. (feelgoodonpurpose is my channel over there.)

[James81]

Originally Posted by Angela

They're on youtube, just little tastes of the hypnosis I do in my practice, and vision and belief boards: Feel Good On Purpose. (feelgoodonpurpose is my channel over there.)

Jesus, that was the most relaxing vid ever. lol

[rocketman]

angela: could you please explain more what exactly happens with NLP in relation to my question?

[Angela]

Thank you, James -- stay tune for more soon!

Rocketman, did you look at the video of the Drunk Pattern I linked you to?

[joelr]

Originally Posted by rocketman

thanks, great response! so my question is, how does this work in relation to sleep/drowsiness...?

for example, coffee binds to adenosine receptors, essentially "tricking" our bodies into not feeling sleepy. so what does dopamine, endorphins, and dyorphins do in the body that take away the feeling of sleepiness? they obviously don't bind to anything as they are natural chemicals within the body, so are they just neutralizing whatever impulse signals sleep?

I don't know the exact pathways but dopamine regulates sleep, high Dop will reduce tiredness. Endorphins trigger more dopamine also.
The opiate energy is well known, a common side effect of oxycodone prescribed as an analgesic is that people will clean their house for hours.
Probably from extra dopamine and relief from all negative emotion. There are still many unknown connections with all of these "reward chemicals" so some answers may be unattainable.

But like Angela said you can also manipulate your mind into thinking it's time to release different happy chemicals.
Meditation, visualization etc..
Not to the same degree, otherwise we would see meditation or NLP addicts

But it's still helpful.

[rocketman]

joelr - why would meditation release dopamine?

angela - i did, very interesting stuff!