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Euphoria (/juːˈfɔːriə/ ⓘ yoo-FOR-ee-ə)

Description

euphoria /yo͞oˈfôrēə/ Euphoria is a state of intense, overwhelming happiness, joy, or well-being. It represents a feeling of extreme elation that can be brought on by accomplishments, positive experiences, or artificially induced by substances. It is characterized by high spirits, excitement, and a profound sense of satisfaction

The word "euphoria" is derived from the Ancient Greek terms εὐφορία: εὖ eu meaning "well" and φέρω pherō meaning "to bear".[13][14] It is semantically opposite to dysphoria. A 1706 English dictionary defines euphoria as "the well bearing of the Operation of a Medicine, i.e., when the patient finds himself eas'd or reliev'd by it".[15] During the 1860s, the English physician Thomas Laycock described euphoria as the feeling of bodily well-being and hopefulness; he noted its misplaced presentation in the final stage of some terminal illnesses and attributed such euphoria to neurological dysfunction.[16] Sigmund Freud's 1884 monograph Über Coca described (his own) consumption of cocaine producing "the normal euphoria of a healthy person",[17] while about 1890 the German neuropsychiatrist Carl Wernicke lectured about the "abnormal euphoria" in patients with mania.[18]

Hedonic hotspots are functionally interrelated neural substrates/structures that (intrinsically or extrinsically) generate the feelings of pleasure. Activation of one hedonic hotspot involves the stimulation of the others. Inhibition of one hedonic hotspot blunts the activation the other ones.[10][11] Therefore, the simultaneous activation of every hedonic hotspot within the reward system is probably necessary for generating the sensation of euphoria.[12]