I am always struck by how often advertisements use wonderful, qualiadelic ideas to sell their products. One commercial that readily comes to mind was probably called “pay it forward.” Basically, one person helps another, then that person helps another, and so on throughout the morning. It is just a series of people feeling good about being nice. It is the type of thing many of us experience throughout every day of our lives: we smile and people smile back at us, and it makes us feel good.
But we live in a material world. The commercial is selling a soft drink – it is a Big Dopamine reward for doing a good thing. Smiling and helping, in and of themselves, are Little Dopamine rewards, but they are relatively unappreciated when compared to the dopamine rush of a Coke. We are programmed to expect Big Dopamine rewards – so we think, maybe if I smile or help I will get a coke, or a date, or go to Heaven.
Another commercial began with a furry, odd and unfamiliar-looking creature, crying in a baby’s crib. A narrator intones: “Ideas are scary. They come into this world ugly and messy. Ideas are frightening because they threaten what is known. They are the natural-born enemy of the way things are.” Extremely true, and extremely qualiadelic. Of course, this commercial advertises a company which turns ideas into products which make the world a better place (aka makes Big Dopamine more easily obtainable).
We live in a material world. Commercials show us ideas, but they send us off after matter. This is not inherently bad. This is the way we evolved. In nature, the landscape has its own advertisements – colors, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes – all of which sent our animal ancestors chasing after food, sex, shelter, or whatever they needed to survive.
But a material world does not necessitate a material economy, or at least not one founded on Big Dopamine (addiction). This is a waste of what human consciousness really has over there rest of the beings on the planet: more agency, more ability to affect the planet – but we have botched that.
Instead of a material economy, which doesn’t respect the uniqueness of all beings, we can have a qualiadelic economy, which does. Every being is at the center of its own landscape – all landmarks and pathways lead back to that individual, whose experience of qualia is unique.
Most of us humans just do what the rest of the herd is doing, as with the individuals of any species – despite all our inherent uniqueness. Animals are more governed by instinct than we are, but our material focus holds us back. Our qualiadelic minds hold endless potential would we only use them.
When an individual takes themselves seriously as an artist, for instance, it becomes a calling. Everybody has the urge for a meaningful existence, but sadly most of us are misled by the glitter of success; we miss the essence of our purpose, which are the appreciation of qualia.
Don’t be fooled by the bait and switch that uses fortunate qualia to make you chase after unfortunate products. Stick with the qualia that leads you on a lifelong journey towards the ideal, rather than focus upon material products that only please for a short spell before we crave a newer version…