Chapter 4: Pleasure Palette

Transcription

1 Chapter 4: Pleasure Palette Farewell to Florida, oranges and mangoes. We partner with leaves for waltzes and tangos. Smiles and wags Finally, after cows, kayaks and doggie college, we officially hit the open road for our autumn adventure. The drive to our starting destination in Western, NC, went by so fast, I barely remember it. Darwin and I talked about everything from simple quantum physics to sophisticated tail-wagging techniques. "So how do you wag your tail?" I pressed. "There's no how." Darwin replied. "How do you smile? You just do it. But you can't do it sitting down!" he chastised as I wiggled in my seat. So at the next rest stop I tried it standing up. A security officer promptly tapped me on my shoulder. "Sir, we don't allow that kind of dancing here. This is a family rest stop." Darwin snickered and looked away, pretending he didn't know who was guiding him on the other end of his leash.

2 Tail tester Wanna know another secret about dog tails? asked Darwin. Yes, but this time I'm staying in my seat.

3 Watch which way my tail wags and you can probably tell how happy I am. C'mon Darwin, you mean to tell me the direction you wag says something about your mood? Yes siree. When I'm happiest, I favor a swing to the right. When I'm upset or stressed, you'll see it leaning more to the left. That makes perfect sense Darwin, especially if you consider a similarity with humans. We tend to use the right side of our face to reflect pleasant emotions and the left for negative. I'm glad we don't use our opposite end for expressions! Do you know what it means when my tail is held high? That's an easy one. It shows you're alert and aware of your surroundings. I also know that when your tail is tucked between your legs you're frightened, or if it's bristled, you're ready to defend yourself. So you think you're a tail reader, eh? Okay smarty, what does it mean when I have a small, slow wag of my tail? I give up... I'm being cautious. I don't know if whoever or whatever is confronting me is friendly. And when I go absolutely nutso with my tail I'm happy but it can also mean I'm feeling aggressive. Back on I-75 north again, we drove and drove. Darwin mostly slept and I passed the miles thinking about why we were taking this particular road trip. I paid no attention to the names of towns we passed through. It really didn't matter where we were, just as long as we were exploring all our senses.

4 Our route north from Fort Myers, FL; through Georgia and into Murphy, NC; then east to Cherokee, NC.

5 In pursuit of pleasure I have made a conscious effort to spend the greater part of my life pursuing pleasure responsibly but have never stopped to really understand it. What is it that makes pleasure pleasurable? Is it in our genes at birth, or do we pick it up through life's experiences? Proof that we're born with pleasure circuitry shows itself in the way some newborn babies smile at their mother within minutes of being born. There isn't much chance the infant has had time to learn pleasure. The same with puppies that wag their tails before their eyes are even open. But after birth, pleasure can be modified in positive or negative ways, depending on what life presents us, what we present to life, and how we respond. Most of us have learned to appreciate pleasure over time because we have also experienced pain. Without one, we would never really know the depths or heights of the other. As long as my pleasure does no harm to myself or others, I seek it. Pleasure can be mental or physical. I get physical pleasure from any one of my senses: the sweet aroma of jasmine flowers blooming in our front yard; the succulent taste of wild guavas growing along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers, the mesmerizing sound of cicadas in an oak hammock; or the awesome sight of two red shouldered hawks mating in mid-air. I get mental and physical pleasure through the magical bond I share with Marisa, or the species-to-species bond I have with Darwin. There's short and long term pleasure and sometimes between the two are sacrifices. I sacrifice--or hold off eating something that tastes good if it's also bad for me because I know it will eventually cause ill health. I experience temporary pain by sacrificing but eventually a little pain is worth it if the result is a lot of pleasure later by being healthier. For me, recognizing right and wrong is the same as recognizing pleasure and pain. When I do what's right, the experience is pleasurable. When I do what's wrong, it can be a painful experience. Of course, some would argue that doing what's wrong -- if it feels good -- creates pleasure and I am sure there are people who are happy at the expense of others. But for me, that kind of pleasure is shallow and temporary. Ultimately, doing what's right is far more rewarding than doing what's wrong.

6 We started climbing at night while still in north Georgia, giving this flat-lander an opportunity to adjust to heights. By the time the lighting was good, we were already between Murphy and Cherokee, North Carolina.

7 Why do dogs chase their tail Darwin? Practice, Mr. Mark. Practice for what? Chasing cats. And if you catch one? You'll go back to chasing your tail.

8 What is it about trees and their leaves changing color that brings great pleasure to so many of us? What is this attraction that prompts millions of people to break away from normal routines to spend a few days or weeks watching such remarkable natural phenomenon? For me, I am moved first and foremost by the grand beauty of millions of acres of rainbow colored trees. Rainbows mean the end of a storm. It's a natural beauty signaling the end of nasty weather and the beginning of calm again. For most of us, rainbows have a soothing, uplifting affect. We can't wait to point them out to others, to share their beauty.

9 Music to my eyes.

10 Secondly, our love of trees is an ancient link we have to the natural world. Some of the molecules in each of us were forged billions of years ago in other primitive life forms that gradually became the trees and us. We've shared a common world through time. Our ancestors no doubt used trees for shelter, shade, food and security. The changing colors of leaves may have moved them in the same way we are moved today. Perhaps our appreciation of trees helped to modify our pleasure circuits from one generation to the next. Clearly color affects our moods. Artists are experts at playing with our emotions by splashing certain colors onto canvas, or leaving certain colors out. Advertisers use them, interior designers and even specialists in gambling casinos.

11 Are we on Mars, Mr. Mark?

12 Shopping at the local Nucleus Accumbens We all have a pleasure center and it's open 24 hours a day. There are no locks on this facility and you can come and go as you please. But be warned that too much of a good thing is also dangerous. One should never enter this place without the company of a close friend known as moderation. Our brain's pleasure center is called the nucleus accumbens. I call it my Wow Center. It operates on two neurotransmitters: dopamine, which promotes desire and serotonin, which helps regulate over-indulgence and inhibition. Drugs increase the production of dopamine in the Wow Center, while reducing serotonin. The changing leaves are my drug of choice. And I admit to being an addict. Luckily, I only need my fix once a year.

13 My annual vice: Autumn leaves

14 Perception is everything When I bask briefly in the sun, I am basking in color. For color is actually light the sun sends our way in waves. The great physicist and mathematician Isaac Newton demonstrated that when light passes through a prism it separates into the colors of a rainbow. But when light is perceived by the eye, the retina converts it by electrical impulses to be received by the hypothalamus, which is the part of the brain controlling metabolism, appetite, behavioral patterns, sleep and body temperature. Color psychologists claim that while everyone receives light in the same manner, our final perception to colors varies greatly. Conditioning and personality type both play roles in determining how people react to the colors they see. Coming Clean Some neuroscience researchers suggest that pleasure has the potential to help fight bacteria in our bodies. Inside brain neurons and other tissues in the body, is a chemical called proenkephalin. When we experience pleasure, proenkephalin is broken down, producing a substance that causes a feel good sensation. But the same enzymes involved in that process also release another chemical called enketylin, a strong antibacterial agent. Feel good protection, I call it.

15 Let sleeping dogs lie "I'm not picky, but I prefer a king size bed in my hotel room and a view of the woods," said Darwin, as we searched for a place to bed down for the night. I think he was pleased with the canine accommodations we found in Robbinsville, NC. Wow! A trampoline! Where are you going to sleep, Mr. Mark? Window view of the woods. Mind if I have some privacy? You handsome devil you. Do not disturb.