Texts:The Art of Existence

From The Maze Where Realities Converge - the psychedelic encyclopedia of reality from The Ultimate Comment

I would like to propose that the quality of existence can good or bad at any given time, (mixtures between the two will not be covered) and there are several levels to the factors that determine which it is at any time. It is likely that these factors are linked in some way to the biochemistry of the human brain, however this is beyond the scope of this essay, and I wish to deal only with raw phenomenological data, and operate only on that which is immediately available at all times during human consciousness.

Senses would seem to have an impact, and in general there is a sense of well-being attached to pleasant sensations. Orgasm would appear to have a psychic as well as physical aspect to its pleasure, and unexpected pain or pain resulting from self harm may involve emotional and survival instincts, and thus these extreme examples of sensation are inadmissible where proving the effect of sensation on the character of experience is the matter. However, stroking oneself in a non-sexual manner is generally pleasing, and digging one’s nails into oneself becomes unbearable.

The effect on one’s emotional state on the subjective perception of these sensations cannot be discounted. Receiving a stroke from a friend is often pleasant proportional to your esteem of the stroke. It’s possible to be so miserable that a hug doesn’t feel good, or feel guilty enough that kissing does not feel good. However, when you are happy or relieved, a hug can feel good (there is a curious causal relationship between the hug and happiness during the hug which if thought about, may intensify the hug.

Similarly, a bad emotional state can be represented by feelings in the stomach. It may be possible to argue that emotional and physical pleasure and pain are mutually inclusive, and that we cannot perceive emotions completely aphysically. This may explain why total anaesthesia can be emotionally relieving, such as in the case of the heroin addict who finds relief from taking more heroin.