Going through lists of things being physically pleasant

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ouroborosUK
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22 Feb 2014, 5:12 pm

I have the habit to do list of things. I would not say it is a special interest in itself but it is always related to some things I find interesting. I will list brewing ingredients (brand, colour for malts, bitterness and taste for hops, etc. ), roleplaying games spells, victory conditions in board games, etc. When the data is quite simple and unstructured (for example the list of the seven major forms of lightsaber combat in Star Wars) I will merely memorize it. When it is more elaborate I will create elaborate charts and diagrams, usually using Google Docs.

I think this is quite common for many people here. But what I think is weirder is that simply going through those lists (either mentally or by reading them) not only relaxes me but is sometimes physically pleasant. It can suscite a feeling of elation and send some waves of wellbeing and pleasure in my spine. The effect is difficult to explain and not systematic, but I was wondering if anyone can report something similar?


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serenaserenaserena
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22 Feb 2014, 7:25 pm

Listing things often times makes me happy and entertained, but sometimes, it makes me mad, because I feel like I am forgetting something to put on the list, and then it haunts me.


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structrix
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24 Feb 2014, 11:40 am

I love reading lists and making lists. Have you ever read the "Book of Lists"? It's great!


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foxfield
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24 Feb 2014, 1:24 pm

The pleasurable sensation that you feel is likely the same one you experience when listening to an enjoyable piece of music.

There is an article HERE that explains that while listening to music your brain is working hard to compress the complicated musical structure into a series of predictable patterns. The rush of pleasure that you feel is your brain succeeding in breaking down the structure - the more complicated the piece the greater the reward. And of course, the reward diminishes the more times you hear a particular song.

I think the same effect may be going on with your lists.