Dopamine: Driving Your Brain into the Future | Daniel Z. Lieberman | TEDxWilmingtonWomen

Summary

This script delves into the brain's dichotomy of 'here-and-now' and future-oriented behaviors, governed by different chemical responses. It explains how dopamine, associated with desire and motivation, drives us towards future goals but doesn't provide satisfaction. The narrative contrasts dopamine's role in achieving success, like Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk, with the need to engage 'here-and-now' circuits for contentment. It underscores the importance of balancing our pursuit of future rewards with the appreciation of present achievements.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The brain can be both cooperative and uncooperative, affecting our ability to perform tasks or get started on projects.
• 👀 Looking down represents the peri-personal space, which includes things within arm's reach that we own and control.
• 👆 Looking up represents the extra-personal space, which includes things outside our immediate control and often requires effort to obtain.
• 💡 Dopamine is the key brain chemical associated with the extra-personal space, future goals, and abstract ideas.
• 🌟 Dopamine is initially linked to pleasure and reward, but further research shows it's more about desire, motivation, and novelty.
• 🍰 Dopamine is activated by unexpected rewards, which is why it's sometimes called the 'reward prediction error' molecule.
• 🔄 The brain processes the here-and-now with chemicals that deal with immediate sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions.
• 🚀 Dopamine can drive us to achieve great things, but it's not sufficient for finding satisfaction or happiness in what we've achieved.
• 🔄 The pursuit of novelty and the dopamine response can lead to a cycle of constant seeking, which may not bring lasting fulfillment.
• 🌈 To find satisfaction, it's necessary to shift from dopamine-driven circuits to here-and-now circuits that allow us to appreciate and celebrate our achievements.

Q & A

What is the distinction between looking up and looking down according to the script?

Looking down refers to the peri personal space, which is within arm's reach and typically contains things you own and control. Looking up refers to the extra personal space, which is outside your arm's reach and involves things that require effort to obtain and are associated with future interactions.

What are the 'here-and-now' brain chemicals, and what do they process?

The 'here-and-now' brain chemicals process sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions that are happening in the present moment.

How does dopamine differ from the other 'here-and-now' brain chemicals?

Dopamine is different as it coordinates thoughts related to the extra personal space, future, imaginary, abstract, and unreal ideas. It is associated with desire, motivation, and hard work, unlike the immediate processing of the 'here-and-now' chemicals.

Why did evolution create two different pathways for processing resources we have and don't have?

Evolution created these pathways because for our ancestors, having resources like food and water was crucial for survival, and the difference between having and not having could mean the difference between life and death.

What is the significance of the dopamine response in the context of the study involving rats and food pellets?

The dopamine response in the rat study signifies that dopamine is not a molecule of pleasure but of novelty. It is triggered by unexpected rewards, indicating a 'reward prediction error' when there is a discrepancy between expected and actual rewards.

What is the role of dopamine in the brain according to the script?

Dopamine's role in the brain is to maximize future resources by driving desire, motivation, and hard work towards goals. It is involved in behaviors that increase evolutionary success, such as obtaining food, winning competitions, and achieving goals.

How does the script explain the addictive nature of dopamine?

The script explains that dopamine is associated with desire and motivation, which can lead to addiction. It is initially rewarding, but as expectations rise, the dopamine response decreases, leading individuals to constantly chase new rewards to recapture the initial high.

What is the 'reward prediction error' mentioned in the script?

The 'reward prediction error' refers to the scientific term for the dopamine response when there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually occurs regarding rewards. This error triggers a dopamine release, which is linked to the novelty of rewards.

How does the script suggest we can achieve satisfaction from the things we have?

The script suggests that to achieve satisfaction from what we have, we need to shift from our dopamine circuits to our 'here-and-now' circuits, which involve a more touchy-feely experience and focus on the present moment.

What is the potential downside of an overactive dopamine system as illustrated by the script?

An overactive dopamine system can lead to a constant pursuit of new rewards and a lack of satisfaction with current achievements. It can also result in negative behaviors such as addiction, as illustrated by the example of Buzz Aldrin, who experienced difficulties after his historic moonwalk due to an imbalance in his dopamine-driven pursuits.

How does the script relate dopamine to the concept of success and achievement?

The script relates dopamine to success and achievement by highlighting its role in driving motivation and perseverance towards goals. However, it also cautions that dopamine alone cannot provide long-term satisfaction and that a balance with 'here-and-now' experiences is necessary for true fulfillment.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding the Brain's Dual Nature

The first paragraph introduces the brain as a complex organ that can be both cooperative and uncooperative. It highlights how the brain can easily perform routine tasks but struggles with initiating new projects or gets stuck in negative thought patterns. The speaker promises to reveal a secret about how the brain works, starting with the concept of 'up' and 'down'. The brain's interaction with the peri-personal space (immediate surroundings within arm's reach) and extra-personal space (beyond arm's reach) is discussed, explaining that the former involves things we own and control, while the latter involves effort and future planning. The paragraph concludes by introducing dopamine as the key brain chemical involved in future-oriented thinking and motivation.

05:02

🚀 Dopamine: The Molecule of Desire and Novelty

The second paragraph delves into the role of dopamine, initially known as the 'pleasure molecule' due to its association with euphoria and reward. The speaker explains that dopamine is actually linked to novelty and unexpected rewards, not just pleasure. Using examples from scientific studies, including one where rats were given food pellets, it's shown that dopamine activity decreases when rewards become predictable. The concept of 'reward prediction error' is introduced, suggesting that dopamine is released when there's a positive discrepancy between expected and actual rewards. The paragraph also touches on how dopamine's role in desire and motivation can lead to addiction and the pursuit of new experiences, which can be both rewarding and potentially destructive.

10:03

🌕 The Pursuit of Dopamine and the Need for Satisfaction

The third paragraph discusses the potential downsides of relying too heavily on dopamine for motivation and the pursuit of new experiences. It uses the example of Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men to walk on the moon, to illustrate how an excess of dopamine can lead to a constant desire for more, even after achieving significant life goals. The paragraph suggests that while dopamine can drive us to achieve great things, it's also important to be able to switch to 'here and now' circuits to find satisfaction and celebrate achievements. It emphasizes the need for balance between the pursuit of future rewards and the appreciation of present moments, concluding with a call to spend time in the present and enjoy life's successes.

Keywords

💡Brain

The brain is the central organ of the human nervous system, responsible for a wide range of functions including cognition, emotion, and behavior. In the video, the brain is described as both brilliant and rebellious, capable of aiding in everyday tasks but also causing resistance to starting important projects or getting stuck in negative thought patterns. The video emphasizes understanding the brain as the first step towards harnessing its power.

💡Peri Personal Space

Peri personal space refers to the area around an individual that is within arm's reach, typically containing things that the person owns and controls. The video uses the concept to illustrate how looking down, or focusing on the peri personal space, involves interacting with things that are immediately present and controllable, which is processed by the brain using 'here-and-now' chemicals.

💡Extra Personal Space

Extra personal space is the area beyond arm's reach, representing the world outside of immediate control. The video explains that looking up or focusing on the extra personal space involves future-oriented thinking and effort, which is coordinated by dopamine, the brain chemical associated with desire and motivation.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain associated with reward, motivation, and desire. The video discusses dopamine as the key chemical that coordinates thoughts and actions related to the extra personal space, future goals, and abstract ideas. It is initially described as the 'pleasure molecule' but is later corrected to be more accurately the 'molecule of novelty,' as it is triggered by unexpected rewards.

💡Here-and-Now Brain Chemicals

These chemicals are involved in processing sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions that are immediate and present. The video contrasts these chemicals with dopamine, suggesting that they are responsible for the fulfillment and satisfaction felt when interacting with things within the peri personal space.

💡Appetitive Behaviors

Appetitive behaviors refer to the desire, motivation, and hard work involved in pursuing goals or rewards that are not immediately available. The video explains that these behaviors are associated with the extra personal space and are driven by dopamine, as opposed to consummatory behaviors which are associated with immediate rewards and satisfaction.

💡Consummatory Behaviors

Consummatory behaviors are actions related to the consumption and enjoyment of immediate rewards, such as eating, drinking, or achieving a goal. The video contrasts these with appetitive behaviors, suggesting that consummatory behaviors are associated with the here-and-now chemicals and the feeling of fulfillment.

💡Reward Prediction Error

Reward prediction error is a scientific term used to describe the discrepancy between the expected reward and the actual reward received. The video explains that dopamine is released when there is an unexpected reward, indicating an error in the prediction of what the future holds, which makes the future more interesting.

💡Novelty

Novelty refers to something that is new or unfamiliar. In the context of the video, novelty is what triggers dopamine release, as it signals an unexpected reward or a change in the future that makes it more interesting. The video contrasts novelty with the familiar, which does not trigger the same dopamine response once it becomes expected.

💡Satisfaction

Satisfaction is the feeling of contentment or fulfillment that comes from achieving a goal or consuming a reward. The video discusses how dopamine, while involved in motivation and desire, does not provide satisfaction. Instead, satisfaction is associated with the here-and-now chemicals and the present moment, suggesting a shift away from dopamine-driven behaviors.

💡Present Moment

The present moment refers to the current, immediate experience of time. The video emphasizes the importance of shifting focus to the present moment to achieve satisfaction, as opposed to being constantly driven by dopamine towards future goals. It suggests that celebrating success and connecting with others in the present can provide a different kind of fulfillment.

Highlights

The brain can be both cooperative and uncooperative, affecting our actions and thoughts.

Understanding the brain is the first step to taming it and utilizing it effectively.

The distinction between 'up' and 'down' is a simple yet significant concept in understanding brain function.

Looking down represents the peri personal space, which includes things within arm's reach and under our control.

Looking up represents the extra personal space, which involves things outside our immediate control and requires effort.

The brain processes the peri personal space with 'here-and-now' chemicals, linked to present moment experiences.

Dopamine is the key brain chemical for processing the extra personal space, future desires, and abstract ideas.

Evolution created separate pathways for resources we have and those we don't, crucial for survival.

Consuming behaviors are associated with resources we have, leading to feelings of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Appetitive behaviors are linked to resources we desire but don't have, involving desire, motivation, and hard work.

Sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions are processed in the here-and-now by the brain.

Dopamine is initially associated with pleasure and reward, but further research reveals a more complex role.

Dopamine is actually the molecule of novelty, responding to unexpected rewards rather than pleasure alone.

The dopamine response decreases when rewards become expected, as seen in experiments with rats and food pellets.

Dopamine's role is to maximize future resources, not to provide satisfaction, which comes from engaging with the present.

The pursuit of novelty and the disappearance of dopamine once a desire is fulfilled can lead to a constant chase for new experiences.

Dopamine can be both a driving force for achievement and a potential source of addiction and dissatisfaction.

To find satisfaction in what we have, we need to shift from dopamine circuits to here-and-now circuits.

The story of Buzz Aldrin illustrates the power and potential pitfalls of a dopamine-driven life.

Celebrating success and connecting with others in the present moment is crucial after achieving goals driven by dopamine.

Transcripts

your brains a funny thing sometimes it

does what you want it to do such as

composing email or find something to eat

in the refrigerator other times it's

uncooperative and obstinate refusing to

get started on that important new

project or getting stuck and ruminating

all day long on some negative thought

that makes you feel unhappy your brain

is brilliant and rebellious it can be

your best friend and sometimes your

worst enemy the first step in taming

this beast and getting out of it all

that you can is to understand it and

today I'm going to tell you an important

secret about how the brain works and

oddly enough it starts with the

seemingly simple distinction between up

and down so just for a moment let me ask

you to look down and what do you see

lise your hands may be a pen cup of

coffee possibly a cellphone when you

look down you're looking to what's

called the peri personal space that's a

space around you that's within arm's

reach things are within the peri

personal space are typically things you

own and control you use them enjoy them

sometimes consume them when you look up

on the other hand you're looking out

into the extra personal space the world

that's outside your arm's reach if you

want or need something in the extra

personal space it's going to take effort

to get it give me a small amount of

effort walking across the room to pick

up a book off a table or it could be

more walking you the store to buy a bag

of peaches or planning a trip around the

world interacting with things in the

extra personal space takes place in the

future because those things aren't here

they're imaginary they're unreal they're

abstract ideas when our brain processes

things in the peri personal space uses a

handful of chemicals that might be

called the here-and-now brain chemicals

because they process things that are

right here in the present moment when we

look out into the extra personal space

into the future the imaginary the

abstract and unreal our thoughts are

coordinate

by one single brain chemical and that's

dopamine it's the chemical of what you

desire now that raises a question why is

it that evolution created these two very

different pathways once what we have and

another for what we don't and the answer

is pretty straightforward to our

evolutionary ancestors the familiar

saying either you have or you don't

could very easily become if you have it

or you're dead for a survival point of

view and your brain is a highly tuned

survival machine there's a fundamental

difference between resources you have

resources such as food water

reproductive partners and those that you

don't and sometimes that difference was

the difference between life and death

now when we interact with things that we

have we engage in consumed Ettore

behaviors and that of course we refer to

consuming eating and drinking but also

refers to consummation what happens at

the end when we reach our goal the

feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction

that we've earned when we interact with

things that we don't have we engage in

appetitive behaviors desire motivation

and hard work so let's start out by

taking a look at some of the

here-and-now brain chemicals that you

may be familiar with what gets processed

in the here and now

well sensory experiences we see here

taste touch smell right here in the

present moment and emotions are the same

we feel joy pleasure and sadness right

here in the present the same is true

with social interactions we experience

empathy warmth and just the joy of being

with people we love in the present

that's the here and now's what about

dopamine what do we know about dopamine

much of the early research that was done

on dopamine was done by addiction

researchers and that's because this is

the brain chemical of desire and

motivation and people who are addicted

are desiring and are motivated to get

toxic chemicals that are destroying

their lives so in this study the

scientists

injected volunteers with intravenous

cocaine and then measured the activity

of a structure in their brain called the

striatum it's a part of the brain that's

rich in dopamine activity red and yellow

represent high levels of activity and

blue and green represent lower levels of

activity what you can see is that

cocaine is a powerful stimulator of

dopamine a few minutes after the drug is

injected levels spike way up and then as

the body clears the drug they come down

now the scientists were not only

interested in the objective measurement

of brain activity they also wanted to

know about what their research

volunteers were feeling they wanted to

know about the subjective experience as

they were having so at each point in

time they asked them to rate the level

of euphoria they were experiencing and

that's represented by the gray bars to

the right of each scan what immediately

jumps out at you is this very tight very

close relationship between dopamine

activity and the level of euphoria based

on this study and others like it the

pathway that dopamine cells take through

the brain was named the reward pathway

the reward pathway and dopamine was

christened the pleasure molecule and

this makes a lot of sense

dopamine rewards us when we do things

that make our evolutionary success a

little bit more secure when we get food

when we're hungry when we win a

competition score the goal in the soccer

game all of these things makes our

future a little bit more interesting and

perhaps a little bit more secure and if

you've heard of dopamine as many of you

have this is probably the context in

which you've heard of it as the pleasure

molecule and as I said it makes a lot of

sense there's only one problem and that

is that it's wrong

it turns out it's a little bit more

complex and a lot more powerful

so subsequent researchers reasoned it's

very unlikely this circuit evolved to

respond to cocaine it's a lot more

likely involved to respond to natural

rewards such as food so they designed an

experiment in which they dropped pellets

of food into a rats cage and then

measured the dopamine response in its

brain on this graph we see a few seconds

of time and each dot represents an

individual dopamine cell in the rat's

brain becoming activated the bars along

the top represent the total number of

dopamine cells that are active at each

point in time all right so we got the

vertical line we drop a pellet of food

into the rats cage and a moment later we

get a spike in dopamine firing so far so

good the pleasure molecule but look what

happens next look what happens if day

after day we continue to drop pellets in

the rats cage at the same times every

day we train the rat to expect the

reward and the dopamine signal

disappears now the rat is devouring the

pellet of food with just as much

apparent pleasure as ever but the

dopamine response is gone why the answer

is that dopamine is not the molecule of

pleasure dopamine is the molecule of

novelty only unexpected rewards trigger

dopamine the scientific term for this is

reward prediction error as we go through

life we're constantly making predictions

about what the future holds particularly

with regard to rewards you open up your

wallet expecting to see $40 and there's

$60 in there you just made an error with

your reward prediction and you get a

little spray of dopamine let me give you

another example you're walking down the

street on the way to work you've walked

down the street dozens of times before

nothing has changed and your dopamine

system

is at rest all of a sudden you realize a

brand new bakery has just opened up bang

dopamine your future just got a little

bit more interesting so you walked in

order croissant cup of coffee delicious

you decide that from now on you're going

to come here every day for breakfast and

then what happens two weeks later you're

sitting in the bakery chewing on your

croissant nothing

your thoughts are elsewhere all the

enthusiasm the excitement that was first

there is now completely gone we can

express this through a simple

mathematical formula dopamine release

equals the actual reward minus the

expected reward when the bakery was a

surprise your dopamine system responded

fully as expectation came up dopamine

went down and it's not just bakeries and

croissants this happens with getting a

raise getting a promotion buying a

big-screen TV even falling in love and

that stinks because dopamine feels so

good we all particularly love dopamine

we like new things we like to think

about the future we love ideas but as

soon as what we hope for becomes what we

have dopamine disappears does that mean

that we are destined to forever chase

things and as soon as we catch them they

slip through our hands not exactly

but if we want to get satisfaction from

the things that we have we've got to

shift down we've got to come out of our

dopamine circuits into our here in now

circuits and they feel different it's a

little bit more of a touchy-feely

experience that is not always

comfortable for people who love dopamine

but dopamine can't give you satisfaction

any more than a hammer can turn a screw

dopamine can only say more

that's what dopamine is for to maximize

future resources whether it is the

passion patience perseverance and hard

work necessary for scientific discovery

buying a new home or starting a new

career dopamine is there to deliver

dopamine changes the world it makes the

world a better place but if we're not

careful it can also destroy us on July

20th 1969 Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon

it took a whole lot of dopamine to get

him there but based on what we know

about his life it seems like he had a

lot of it so much in fact that it may

have crowded out pretty much everything

else when he returned to Earth a

reporter asked him what did it feel like

to walk on the moon Buzz Aldrin replied

look we don't know we were feeling we

weren't feeling what were your emotions

as you walked on the surface of the Moon

fighter pilots don't have emotions he

told a group of admirers walking on the

moon was just something we did now we

should do something else but how do you

top walking on the moon if you're all

dopamine all the time that becomes a

very important question you might be

able to guess what happened next he

started drinking a lot and a short time

later he became an alcoholic he married

and divorced two women and eventually

things got so bad he was hospitalized on

a psychiatric inpatient unit he

recovered and he went on to do more

extraordinary things but for a period of

time that same chemical that lifted him

up into the heavens made his life a kind

of hell so if you want to do great

things

fire up your dopamine circuits desire

change look to the future motivate

yourself cross bridges and succeed but

when you get there you need to do

something else something that for many

of us is going to be just as difficult

need to turn off your dopamine circuits

let your hue now circuits have their way

and celebrate your success

connect with family and friends and if

only for a little while

remember to spend some time right here

in the present moment thank you

[Applause]

you