Euphoria is a feeling of intense happiness and well-being that can be triggered by natural rewards like exercise, music, and dancing. It is also a symptom of some mental health conditions like mania and is associated with romantic love and sexual activity. Certain addictive drugs can induce euphoria, contributing to their recreational use.
1903: Euphoria as "Pleasant Excitement"
In 1903, The Boston Daily Globe described euphoria as "pleasant excitement" and "the sense of ease and well-being."
1920: Euphoria: A "High Sounding Name"
In 1920, Popular Science magazine characterized euphoria as a "high sounding name" for "feeling fit." They highlighted its role in making life worth living, motivating drug use, and its distorted presence in certain mental illnesses.
1921: Euphoria as an Organic State
Robert S. Woodworth's 1921 textbook "Psychology: A study of mental life" defined euphoria as an organic state contrasting with fatigue, essentially meaning "feeling good."
1940: Euphoria as a State of Well-being
In 1940, The Journal of Psychology defined euphoria as a "state of general well being ... and pleasantly toned feeling."
1957: Opioid Euphoria: Not Undesirable
In 1957, British pharmacologist D. A. Cahal challenged the prevailing view of opioid euphoria, suggesting it was not medically undesirable but rather an effect that "enhance[s] the value of a major analgesic."
1977: Euphoria in Psychiatry
The 1977 edition of A Concise Encyclopaedia of Psychiatry defined euphoria as "a mood of contentment and well-being." However, it noted its pathological associations in a psychiatric context, describing it as bland, out of context, and indicative of an inability to experience negative emotions when a sign of cerebral disease.
January 2019: Dopamine and Musical Pleasure
In January 2019, a clinical study explored the effects of dopamine on reward responses to music. The research demonstrated that manipulating dopamine neurotransmission bidirectionally regulates pleasure cognition, particularly the hedonic impact of music. This suggests that increased dopamine is essential for pleasurable responses to music in humans.