Comment on The ancient Greeks or Chinese should have already had words for this.
tree_frog_and_rain@lemmy.world 1 day agoThey’ve done studies on dopamine with sugar. It’s not the eating it that’s satisfying, it’s the getting it. So most dopamine is released on the way to the mouth. Assuming you’ve had ice cream before and the neural pathways are laid.
Which is why the first bite is the best.
But yeah the mind has some plasticity. We can learn to be more visual or olfactory ‘thinkers’.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 day ago
Makes sense. It’s why we have that Pavlovian response to just the promise of something tasty. It shouldn’t be surprising that the same effect that is making our mouths water, is also releasing endorphins in anticipation of the taste. Just thinking about it is pleasurable enough to release endorphins.