Please keep the following in mind:
Our mind is an emergent entity.
The behavior of this entity depends on how all of these building blocks function.
How these building blocks function depends on the levels of all neurotransmitters and modulators we produce, release, consume. Of course it also depends on the structure of the neurons, which is a function that takes all events of the past as argument.
Our mind will have a different behavior, when these variables change.
Enlightenment has a lot to do with living in the moment, no future no past is relevant. It has also to do with not getting distracted by primitive rewards or imminent temptations. It is very refreshing to visit this state of mind from time to time.
Dopamine is a key neuromodulator (or neurotransmitter if you don’t want to differentiate vs. glutamate etc.). Dopamine has a lot to do with rewards. The anticipation of rewards releases dopamine. High dopamine levels let us think we are doing the right thing. We think we are onto something. It is evolutionary beneficial to continue doing things that are rewarding. Our brain adapts to higher dopamine levels by reducing the response of dopamine receptors. As a result we need reward faster and it has to be more intense. The more we drive our dopamine system upward, the shorter the time frame gets on which we seek reward. We are living more and more in the moment. No future no past.
Is this the same as enlightenment? No. Enlightenment is living in the moment and being aware of the future and the past. Enlightenment means rejecting temptations and imminent rewards. Dopamine induced rush is not like this. It is a different form of living in the moment. In this rush it makes sense to twist your internal picture of the world so that you are right. You are the genius. Being the genius is rewarding. Enlightenment is being one with the world, if you are a genius or not does not matter. Honesty is easy. You are not honest because you are a genius and you can allow yourself to be honest in enlightenment. You are honest, because there is no you. In dopamine rush you are honest, because you think you are above everything.
There are substances which release dopamine. There are substances which inhibit the reuptake of dopamine in the synapses. Both means driving up your dopamine level. Methylphenidate / Ritalin is such a substance. It is not necessary to use such a substance to drive up your dopamine level, but it will accelerate it.
You might be productive. From time to time you are enlightened, when coming back to the productive-in-action-with-the-world mode your focus is good. You can alternatively be enlightened most of the time, but then you lose touch to reality. To understand reality you need to understand the past and make predictions about the future. These predictions are evaluated by you and you learn, why your predictions are wrong. The dopamine rush does not want to accept that your predictions are wrong. The dopamine rush seeks for easy reward. Don’t confuse it for enlightenment. After you stop consuming dopamine reuptake inhibitors it might take months until you come back to normal levels. Everything might be dull, but enlightenment comes from accepting that everything is dull.
Our mind is dependent on the levels of the neurotransmitters. Sometimes we think we are on the right track. Later we realize that we were in a dopamine rush and were not able to objectively differentiate. Keep that in mind.
