Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of Unchanging

Truth, with a Colson Center on John Stone Street.

If, by pressing a button, you could get the same sensation as the most pleasant, relaxing,

or enjoyable experience you ever had, would you do it?

If so, how often?

Well, back in the 1950s, a curious psychologist sawed an answer to those questions.

He installed electrodes into the pleasure centers of rats' brains, and then he gave them

a lever to zap themselves.

Not only did they like it, they became addicted.

They pressed the lever thousands of times a day over and over, neglecting to eat, drink,

or sleep until they eventually died.

Now, if you're tempted to reply here that, well, rats aren't humans, consider a new

phenomenon, ASMR.

That seems to suggest that when given the chance, human beings will readily seek out the tingles

in lieu of real life experience.

A recent article by Sam Chris and the spectator explains ASMR, which stands for Autonomous

Sensory Meridian Response.

It's a sort of pleasant tingle, a warmth that many people say that they experience when

they hear certain sounds, or watch someone manipulate the right object in the right way.

For example, an exhibit at London's Design Museum invites guests to snuggle into a giant

brain-shaped pillow, don a pair of headphones, and then watch strangely simple yet satisfying

videos.

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