[extropy-chat] Wireheading

[John]

> Does anyone know what's up with wireheading?

I had to google that to check precisely what you actually meant.

> Still -- as far as I can tell wireheading is very rarely used for
> mental illness treatment. Why?

It's possible for implants to wear down, cause irritation and require 
maintenance. That, combined with the implant and removal cost, means that 
drugs are probably seen as the more cost effective method.

Suggestions of cutting into someone's head to cure a mental condition is 
knee jerkingly close to the idea of lobotomy, I know I'd associate the two 
at some level.

> And given the intense desire that humans have to get stoned, why is
> there not at least a little experimentation with recreational
> wireheading? (Yes, I know that a surgeon is needed, but on this world
> of 6.5 billion people, there is usually _someone_ with the adventurous
> spirit and the resources to try any given crazy experiment.)

I know there's at least one doctor attempting to help women with 
self-satisfying partners reach orgasm by implanting electrodes right up 
against their spinal cord. So far, he hasn't had many volunteers and less 
than 100% success with those who did.

Humans have a natural wish to protect their nervous system, they don't like 
turning their back to things because they can't see it and it exposes their 
spine. They brain and twitch when things come close to their eyes and 
muscles contract in their ears to protect their ear drums from piercing 
noises.

People can't see THC and it doesn't need parts of their body, near their 
most delicate and precious bits of tissue, to be cut open and manipulated. 
The THC washes out over time without any further effort.

I am aware of a number of people, however, drilling holes in their heads. 
According to them, the hole releases pressure in the cavity and allows their 
brain to function in an enhanced state. Unfortunately for one of the two 
guys recently arrested for supplying almost the entire Western Hemisphere 
with LSD, two of their character witnesses happened to also believe in this 
process.

I suppose you also have to take into account that most people simply don't 
understand electricity at all and don't want any form of it passing through 
them. To suggest you're going to do it directly to their brain is only 
worse.

Then you have the whole thing of "maybe they're trying to control me", 
which -will- be a serious thought for the kind of people who'd initially 
justify this level of treatment.

I, personally, dislike the idea of routinely stimulating macro areas of 
brain tissue unless it's absolutely necessary. It seems like trying to paint 
a photo realistic picture by splashing an A4 canvas with tins of paint.

Saying all this, I don't think it'll be too long before we start seeing this 
kind of thing happening.

Porno will be one of the primary drives behind public participation in 
neural interfaces. As soon as enough people start having such implants made, 
that function without any further maintenance, I expect you will see a good 
degree of growth in people having 'happy implants' made.

Going cross topic for a second... perhaps they may also help with the 
decline of religion, when people no longer need god to be there for them 
because they're happy doing complex work anyway.

John

> Joshua
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