Hallucinogens

An old adage about perception is that we don't see with our eyes, but with our brain. Perceptual hallucinations support this adage when experiences without external physical causes are perceived. Coined in 1956 from the Greek roots for "mind revealing," the term psychedelic refers to a broad range of drugs that include peyote, LSD, and psilocybin. When ingested, these substances can cause hallucinations. However, understanding of the effects of psychedelic drugs on the brain and cognition is limited as many of these substances have been banned from federal funding. Today I speak with Elena Garcia about hallucinogens and the brain.

wikimedia.com

Your Brain when you Hallucinate

Music is provided by http://freemusicarchive.org/ - Melange - "Despertar" and offered by the Creative Commons License

Runner's High

How to achieve a Runner's High
K. Aleisha Fetters

"Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't. But we always want it - and more of it. It's the runner's high, and when we are lucky enough to tap into it, our runs feel easy, exhilarating, even euphoric. But we aren't always that lucky, are we?
Recently, researchers studied how the brain responds to running and found that the ability to get "high" while logging miles might be hard-wired within us. Years ago, our ancestors' survival likely depended on chasing down food. The desire to live was possibly their motivation to run and run fast, and the feel-good brain chemicals released when they did so may have helped them achieve the speed and distances required, says David A. Raichlen, Ph.D., an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona. The runner's high may have served (and serves today) as a natural painkiller, masking tired legs and blistered feet, he says.
Even though you no longer have to chase down dinner, learning how happy brain reactions are sparked may help you achieve the runner's high more often."

Today I sit down with Katie Rose Sullivan to discuss the neural mechanisms underlying the Runner's High.

2015 Berlin Marathon - wikimedia.com

The Runner's High

Music is provided by http://freemusicarchive.org/ - Andy Cohen - "Trophy Endorphin" and offered by the Creative Commons License

Natural High

Are you stressed? Feeling blue? Or just looking for a pick-me-up? Try nature's homebrewed heroin or morphine - endorphins! But aren't those illegal you ask? NO, you're body makes them, that's why they are endogenous opioids. Don't worry about the DEA or or local police knocking down your door while you're getting this high? But wait what is the product, if your body naturally creates them. Well the product is running! Seriously, go out and run, push yourself - hard, but not too hard. Endorphins are painkillers produced in response to physical discomfort. But we're not talking about getting high on just one drug, we're talking about getting high, through running, on two drugs. Endocannabinoid - the body's natural THC analog is produced in response to stress as opposed to pain (the stronger endorphin activator). On a run though, you can't differentiate physical stress from discomfort which means the same mechanism that triggers endorphins can also trigger endocannabinoids. So go out and get high, a Natural High from running.

Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.

Emotions - Attractions - Feelings

To begin the posts of reflection, I thought that I would start with something that has been of relative importance within the last few weeks. It started with my philosophy class (Philosophy of the Mind) and was also piqued by two important relationships in my life. This topic is care, and more specifically love. The book in my philosophy class was the Reasons of Love, by Harry Frankfurt. I started thinking that whether we care or not or for what reasons we choose to care about particular objects or people is interesting, but how is this guided within the brain. People often speak of loving with their hearts, does this indicate that these feelings are not guided by conscious thought, but rather something more instinctual. Are we biased, towards caring about or being interested in certain things without any control? Or, are there certain processes that occur in the brain that allows us to develop feelings about particular things?

Some neurobiological theories suppose that the limbic system is the seat of emotions. Certain patterns of neurochemicals in particular areas of the brain generate the physiological reactions of feeling or caring. Emotions are thought to be related to activity in brain areas that direct our attention, motivate our behavior, and determine the significance of what is going on around us. While these neurobiological reactions will have their effects, it is not enough for me to believe that because I receive a flood of NE or Dopamine everytime that I see someone or something that it will make me love that thing or want it. I want to believe that there are some cognitive reflections about why I feel this or that way. How can physiologic symptomology turn into or create certain indescribable feelings or emotions? It is a wonder that we are able to have this large range of emotions which are both physiogical and psychological in nature.

In terms of the other part that was helped in creating this post, I wrote the following about beginning a relationship with someone a few months ago.
"When you meet someone and start to fall for them, the chemicals in your brain actually change. I know that this may be a little neuroscience “geeky” but it is but one of the awesome and amazing things about the brain. When I see you and I get the butterflies in my stomach, sweaty palms, and flushed skin, it is due to increased levels of dopamine (“the pleasure chemical”), an increase in norepinephrine (which stimulates the production of adrenalin), and in phenylethylamine (causes faster firing of cells in the brain). As we become more addicted to the feelings that these chemicals produce the more we fall for the person that is causing these actions. But there’s more, and don’t worry I’ll explain the reason for including all of this. There is another chemical called oxytoxin, which causes a person to want to be physically held and have close contact, it can be stimulated by the simple glance of a lover, or a gentle hand hold. Lastly, sad but true, chemical effects wear off, or more aptly put, the body adjusts to the increase in these chemicals. Do you know why a lot of relationships end after six months, it is because the infatuation chemicals’ effects wear off and the people realize that they don’t have a deep connection with the other person. This is where endorphins come into play. They make a relationship steadier, intimate, dependable, warm and a great sharing experience. It is not the same giddy high, but a calmness and stability. But there is good news, this is the chemical that keeps people together and it is also highly addictive, with a resistance to adaptation. So to summarize, the infatuation love, is the passionate, exciting love, where as endorphins produce the love of loving someone."

It amazes me the way that people are able to elicit a chemical storm in our bodies through somthing as simple as a knowing glance or a gentle touch on the arm. It is also amazing how much we embody their reciprocal emotions. Returning to the Frankfurt book, he states that one must love something before they can love themselves, and that after they love themselves, they can begin to love other things. I take this to mean that one must love themselves to share those feelings and emotions with others. Also returning to an earlier topic, how do we begin to like things. I believe that we find rewarding experience or pleasure in something or see something that reminds us of ourselves, or brings about the best in ourselves and we want to spend more time with that thing or person. It is always so exciting to begin to find something new that has these begginning feelings. I like the giddyness. At the same time, what happens at the end of a relationship with a person? How has the combination of cognitive and neurobiological signals changed? Is there a such a thing as emotions in reverse?

So where does this bring me in neuroscience? I am interested to see what changes in the brain or what is different in the brain between different emotions. Parsing apart love to reveal different types of love would also be interesting. I hope to look further into the cognitive and neurobiogical aspects of emotion and language and how we express our feelings. While searching the mind is difficult in itself, it is even more of a wonder to forge through a tangle of ever changing emotions.