Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization

by Edward Slingerland

It is also worth noting that there are various non-chemical practices that can produce cognitive effects that mimic alcoholic intoxication. For instance, extreme exercise can produce a “runner’s high” through stimulation of dopamine and downregulation of the PFC, as the overstressed body diverts resources away from the energy-hungry neocortex and toward more immediately necessary motor and circulation systems. The neuroscientist Arne Dietrich has argued that this combination seems to be responsible for the loss of sense of self and intense euphoria characteristic of athletic “peak experiences.”69 Various religious traditions have availed themselves of this trick. Sufi dancing, group singing and chanting, extended meditation in painful poses (cross-legged; kneeling in prayer), personal mortification (self-flagellation; piercing), or extreme breathing exercises can all provide a similar sort of high, boosting dopamine and endorphins while diverting energy away from the PFC.