Dan Gilbert presents a delightful short lecture on happiness and synthetic happiness.

In this memorable talk, Dan Gilbert demonstrates just how poor we humans are at predicting (or understanding) what will make us happy.

Gilbert is a psychology professor at Harvard University where he does all sorts of nifty stuff in the study of happiness (hedonic psychology).  His webpage is here (Hedonic Psychology Laboratory) and you can read his blog here.  He is the author of Stumbling on Happiness.  The video was recorded in February 2004 at Monterey, California, and is part of the TEDtalks programs (see http://www.ted.com for more TEDtalks).

Yes, synthetic happiness is pretty much as valid as real happiness.  Just as experiential trance experience can be as valid and as powerful an experience as genuine actual experience.  Yes, it’s true . . . it’s all in your head.  I’ve been bathing in Tim Leary and Robert Anton Wilson of late and have been revisiting the old HEAD Revolution materials . . . Hedonic Evolution And Development as well as the old SMI2LE materials (Smpice Migration + Increased Intelligence + Life Extention) and the old RICH Economy manifesto (Rising Income through Cypbernetic Homeostasis) and the hedonic engineering aspect of the psychedelic psychology movement has always drawn me to it.

In any case, Gilbert’s lecture is delightful, thought-provoking, and well worth the twenty minutes and more.

All the best,
Brian

Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Certified Hypnotherapist
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com