Natural Emotional Suppressants?

L.Y.S.

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I've become interesting in finding natural emotional suppressants, just to explore how life would be like without emotion. I stumbled across Lithium, after I researched the meaning of the old Evanescence song. It turns out that Lithium consumed over lengthy periods of time suppresses emotional function, often used to treat bipolar and maniac depression.

My question is, are there any such materials naturally occur in plants, animals, or human harvested plants? What other materials exist that act as emotional suppressants. I would love to live a week without emotion to see how different life would be. Keep in mind that I am not trying to self-medicate, more, I am interested in finding non-toxic natural substances which can reduce emotional function.
 
Not really, lithium does certain things and affective flatening might be one of them, but why would you want to suppress your emotions?

Are they out of control?

Maybe examining what is happening would be more useful. I have partly flattened emotions due to taking Zoloft, but that has more to do with my emotions being very extreme and exaggerated before. Now my emotions are more 'normative'.

But emotions have a function, so why try to live without them?
 
You might want to consider a non-pharmacological approach first. It is purported to require considerable effort, but I've heard that some have succeeded in purging themselves of emotion (called "Arie'mnu"), following the path of pure logic through a strict discipline known as "Kolinahr", which culminates in a formal ritual of the same name.
 
FWIW, aspiring Vulcan, recent clinical studies have shown acetaminophen can reduce reported emotional pain resulting from social rejection.

Linky
 
Dymanic said:
You might want to consider a non-pharmacological approach first. It is purported to require considerable effort, but I've heard that some have succeeded in purging themselves of emotion (called "Arie'mnu"), following the path of pure logic through a strict discipline known as "Kolinahr", which culminates in a formal ritual of the same name.
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Funny guys
 
The only people without emotions are the insane, or the dead.

There's research on people who've lost the part of their brains that processes emotions. They have tremendous trouble making decisions, even apparently obvious ones. Even minor ones will cause them tremendous trouble.
 
Dinwar said:
The only people without emotions are the insane, or the dead.

There's research on people who've lost the part of their brains that processes emotions. They have tremendous trouble making decisions, even apparently obvious ones. Even minor ones will cause them tremendous trouble.
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Is there any evidence that inducing a state of emotionlessness alone will cause a part of the brain to die? I feel that that study was the result of brain loss. I don't believe that this alone will cause someone to go insane.
 
So pot, Zoloft, Acetaminophen, and Lithium all induce a state of decreased emotional awareness. What exactly about pot neutralizes out emotions? If there were so less risky options this would be awesome. So far a chemical compound within cannaboids and acetaminophen. Zoloft, ehhhh, and Lithium is double ehhhh.

For the record, I was more inspired by Equilibrium than I was Star Trek. I want to see if emotions are really worth anything as the movie portrays. Does using emotional suppressants increase work productivity and reduce the need for social interaction, or will it cause people to go crazy? So far I'm leaning towards feelings being worthless. Just my take on it.
 
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Virtually any psychotropic compound can cause affective flattening. A lot depends on one's particular neurochemistry, so what works for one person may not work for another.
 
L.Y.S. said:
Is there any evidence that inducing a state of emotionlessness alone will cause a part of the brain to die? I feel that that study was the result of brain loss. I don't believe that this alone will cause someone to go insane.
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The question assumes that insanity is caused by the death of a part of the brain. This isn't true. Emotions are tied to our values (we're happy when we experience things we value, we're sad when our values are harmed in some way). The only way to rid yourself of emotions is to rid yourself of values--that means neither desiring nor despising anything, not having any preferences about anything, in short not making any choices. How could you? You've removed the part of your mind that evaluates different choices.

ETA: It's not just me that thinks that, by the way. I'm basing this on my understanding of cognative therapy.
 
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I'm pretty sure emotions are crucial for survival. Why drink water if you're not distressed by thirst? Why decide to continue living without the survival instinct?
 
L.Y.S. said:
For the record, I was more inspired by Equilibrium than I was Star Trek. I want to see if emotions are really worth anything as the movie portrays. Does using emotional suppressants increase work productivity and reduce the need for social interaction, or will it cause people to go crazy? So far I'm leaning towards feelings being worthless. Just my take on it.
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Lacking emotions will not make you more productive, because you won't care about productivity. What's the point of being productive? You may as well just sit on the couch all day--it's really all the same to someone without emotions. And sure, if you don't work you can't afford things like food or rent, but why is that important? Without emotions you don't care where you live or what you eat. You don't even care if you live.

I know people who have trouble with deadened emotions. They have dissociation disorders that occasionally makes it so they don't feel emotionally attached to anything, and it terrifies them. They self-injure so that they can feel something, because feeling nothing is worse than being in pain.

I strongly advise you to rethink this course of action. If you're dead set on doing it, then please talk to your doctor first. I'd also advise that you have someone with you who knows what you're doing, who can keep an eye on you and step in if things start to get dangerous.
 
L.Y.S. said:
For the record, I was more inspired by Equilibrium
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I msised this before. I'd recommend re-watching the movie; you missed a few rather important concepts if you think that supressing emotions is a good thing.

Akri said:
They have dissociation disorders that occasionally makes it so they don't feel emotionally attached to anything, and it terrifies them.
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Pretty much my experience as well. I've succeeded in deadening emotions to some extent in the past--I thought emotions were evil, and that pure rationality was the only way to be a good person. It's a horrifying experience. No emotions means you JUST DON'T CARE. About ANYTHING. This includes life and death. The experience of realizing that a course of action may end with me dead and having that make no impact on my is one of the things that made me realize "no emotions" was not a wise thing to strive for.
 
L.Y.S.
I think what we are saying here, both in the Vulcan jokes and the more direct responses, is that we find the idea really unwise and would advise you not to pursue it. Emotion is normal. Control over emotion is laudable. Loss of emotion is an illness- and a potentially very serious one.
 
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