Scott Alexander examines the Buddhist concept of jhana, a blissful meditative state, through Nick Cammarata's experiences, exploring its implications for understanding pleasure and reinforcement. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of jhana, a state of extreme bliss achieved through meditation in Buddhism. He focuses on Nick Cammarata's experiences with jhana, describing it as incredibly pleasurable yet non-addictive. The post explores the paradox of jhana being more pleasurable than sex but less reinforcing, challenging conventional models of reward and pleasure. Scott also mentions the Qualia Research Institute's approach to understanding these phenomena and poses discussion questions about the nature of pleasure, reinforcement, and decision-making in relation to jhana. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critically examines the concept of self-conditioning, expressing skepticism while considering potential benefits and deciding to experiment with the technique. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of self-conditioning, specifically the idea of rewarding oneself to reinforce desired behaviors. He initially expresses skepticism, arguing that such methods are unlikely to work due to the brain's ability to predict rewards and the potential for overjustification. He then explores a modified version involving 'victory gestures' instead of tangible rewards. While still skeptical, Scott acknowledges the potential benefits of immediate reinforcement and the intrinsic nature of the reward. He examines evolutionary arguments against self-reinforcement and discusses the limited available research on 'self-consequation'. Despite his doubts, Scott concludes that he will try the technique due to its low cost and potential high value, while recognizing the need for more research in this area. Shorter summary