Glossary
Bio-Behavioral Dopamine Dysfunction Syndrome (BDDS) – A proposed pathology manifested as extremely high dopamine levels and significantly decreased brain activity in the pre-frontal cortex, ventromedial pre-frontal cortex, and temporoparietal junction. Decreased activity is thought to facilitate ignorance/denial of personal dopamine addiction.
Chimpanzee Behavior – Strategies, predispositions, and predilections exhibited by chimpanzees and incorrectly attributed to human beings.
DA – Dopamine abuser or addict.
Dopamine Bias – The tendency displayed by animals and nondopamine addicts (NDAs) to reinforce sustainable behaviors that correlate activation of the brain’s dopaminergic reward system.
Dopamine Dysfunction – When scoring dopamine has become perverted into an end unto itself. As the dopamine dysfunction increases, healthy needs morph into unhealthy obsessions.
Dopamine Flow – A sustained source of dopamine hits around which dopamine addicts orient their thoughts and behaviors.
Dopamine Haze – A state of marked realistic incongruence as all information received by a DA is filtered and ordered around its relevance to the acquisition and maintenance of dopamine flow.
Dopamine Hit – Anything that induces the brain to release dopamine. This varies from person to person; for one it may be heroin, for another it may be status symbols.
Dopamine Puppets – Addicts who can’t understand and don’t want to see that dopamine is pulling their strings and making their decisions for them.
Dopamine Withdrawal – Discomfort associated with the cessation or inhibition of dopamine flow.
Esteem Addiction – Dependence on dopamine released in pursuit of increasing social status, fame, and notoriety. Esteem addicts are usually the most public with their addictions, indulging in extreme activities to draw attention.
Free will — Something dopamine addicts are denied the ability to understand they don’t have.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) – Uses magnetic resonance imaging to trace and visualize changes in metabolic activity throughout the brain.
Know-Think – A form of selective information processing that allows dopamine addicts to continually rationalize and justify their pursuit of dopamine while simultaneously denying or failing to realize the existence of their addictions.
Maslow, Abraham Harold (1908-1970) – American psychologist and professor who championed humanistic psychology; established Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – four lower deficiency needs (D-needs) and two higher being needs (B-needs). The four deficiency needs are: physiological (air, water, food, shelter, sex), safety, peer approval, and esteem. The being needs are: self-actualization and Self-transcendence. Maslow believed that the four lower needs must be met before the individual is free to desire (or be concerned with) the higher level needs. The Perfect Pandemic uses Maslow’s D-needs as qualifiers to categorize various types of dopamine addiction.
Mentalbation – Mental masturbation. Masturbators satisfy a single D-need by physically titillating primitive body areas, and mentalbators satisfy multiple D-needs by mentally titillating primitive brain areas. Either way it’s self-medication. And the drug that mentalbators score is dopamine, the same drug that masturbators are after.
NDA – Non-dopamine addict
Peer-Approval Addiction – Dependence on dopamine released by approval from and influence over a person’s peers. Peer approval addicts seek dopamine-releasing validation through increased identification with groups, clubs, and organizations. They are often contemptuous and dismissive towards those outside of defined associations, and may demonstrate this with resentment and hostility.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – Medicinal imaging methodology that uses small amounts of radioactive substances to trace metabolite consumption throughout the body and brain.
Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) – Divided into the dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and mesial prefrontal areas, the PFC is located within the forebrain and thought to be involved in the expression of personality and social functions, as well as planning complex cognitive behaviors.
Safety Addiction – Dependence on dopamine derived from irrational pursuits of safety and control. Safety addicts may obsess over guns, security hardware, and regimental order; they will not hesitate to blame or attack anyone whose presence threatens their perceived safety.
Safety, Peer-Approval, Esteem (SPAE) Addiction – The "triple whammy" that’s responsible for the untold damage caused by religious fanaticism. Safety addicts find solace in the belief that they’ve found the “one true God” who will protect and reward them for their devotion. Peer-approval addicts gain instant approval from other peer-approval addicts for doing little more than believing in the incredible. Esteem addicts get off on the esteem-elevating delusion that they are smart enough to choose and worship the right “one true God.” SPAE addiction is especially volatile. Safety addicts who can’t admit they are threatened by everyone who doesn’t share their fears are easy to manipulate. Peer-approval addicts who can’t risk rejection have to do as they’re told. Esteem addicts who are never satisfied with flaunting their delusional superiority are compelled to prove that they know better than everyone else.
Self-Deception – A destructive process through which DAs remain willfully ignorant of their addictions or the influence of dopamine on their thoughts and actions.
Self-Medication – Alleviation of dopamine withdrawal through pursuit of known dopamine triggering behaviors. Food addicts self-medicate with junk foods, sex-addicts use pornography and masturbation, safety-addicts carry weapons, peer-approval addicts flock to groups, esteem addicts flaunt status symbols.
Super-Addicts – The most diseased members of society, super-addicts represent a group made up of dopamine addict-dealers willing to say, do, or sell anything to feed their insatiable addictions.
Temporoparietal Junction (TPJ) – The junction between the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain, the TPJ is thought to be associated with self-awareness, empathy, and compassion..
Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPC) – Part of the PFC, the VMPC is located in the frontal lobe and believed to be involved with processing of risk, fear, and decision making. The VMPC is thought to emotionally affect cognitive processing, especially when concerned with “moral” decision making.
