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