Do You Remember Pavlov's Dog-?
🔔 Pavlov’s Dog, Lottery Dreams & the Dopamine Trap: How We’re Still Being Trained
Over 30 years ago, I learned about something called Pavlov’s Dog. Maybe you did too — or maybe you didn’t. But once you understand it, you start to see how deeply it still affects us, every day.
In the early 1900s, Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov discovered that if he rang a bell every time he fed his dogs, eventually the sound of the bell alone would make them salivate. They had learned to associate the bell with food. This is called classical conditioning, and it forms the basis of much of our behavior — even today.
But the “bells” of today look different. They’re notifications, lottery tickets, red tags, headlines, sales pitches, and even loud voices. And just like Pavlov’s dogs, we react without thinking.
🧠 Dopamine: The Drug Inside Us
Neuroscience tells us something even more startling: money lights up the brain like heroin.
When we receive money — especially suddenly, like winning the lottery — our brain releases dopamine, the same chemical that floods our system during sex, gambling, or drug use. It feels amazing… for a moment. Then it fades. So we chase the high again.
The brain doesn’t care if it’s a $5 scratch ticket or a $500,000 windfall. It just knows: This made us feel good. Let’s get more.
This is behavioral conditioning — just like Pavlov's dogs. And it shows up everywhere: lottery lines, online shopping, social media likes, hustle culture, stock markets, and more.
😨 Trauma & Yelling: The Other Side of Conditioning
But not all conditioning is about chasing pleasure.
Some of it is about avoiding pain.
If you grew up around yelling, slamming doors, or loud angry voices, you may notice your body tensing, shutting down, or panicking when it happens — even years later.
That’s not drama. It’s not oversensitivity.
That’s trauma-based conditioning.
Just like Pavlov’s dogs reacted to a bell, our nervous systems can be trained to react to tone of voice, volume, even certain words or body language — because those signals once meant danger.
For some, yelling = fear.
For others, loud noises = panic.
That’s not weakness. That’s survival.
Understanding this helps us move from judgment to compassion — especially for ourselves.
🎰 The Lottery Bell & The High We Chase
Now combine that pain-response conditioning with a society that constantly dangles pleasure triggers: money, fame, status, and stuff.
The lottery is a classic example:
- Flashy lights, cheerful music, the dream of instant wealth.
- Stories of people "just like you" who won.
- Dopamine hits from even small wins.
You buy the ticket, scratch the surface, get a rush — and whether you win or not, your brain is being trained.
The bell rings, and you come back for more.
🏦 Money & Addiction
And it’s not just scratch tickets.
Big money — promotions, sales, jackpots, crypto spikes — all tap into that same brain circuitry. The more you get, the more you want. The more you fear losing it. The more anxious you become.
We’re not just trained — we’re hooked.
Like the article titled: “Money hits the brain like heroin.”
And when people are desperate for the next hit — whether it’s money, power, or attention — they can betray their values, their loved ones, even themselves.
🌍 A Different Bell: Indigenous Teachings
But not all bells are traps.
From an Indigenous perspective, true wealth isn’t about hoarding — it’s about harmony.
🌱 Real wealth is in:
– Giving freely
– Living simply
– Sharing with community
– Honoring Mother Earth
– Knowing when enough is enough
These teachings remind us that we were never meant to live for the next hit, the next purchase, or the next praise.
We were meant to live in connection, not reaction.
🙏 Final Thought: What Bells Are You Responding To?
Whether it’s a loud voice that freezes your body, or a sales ad that hijacks your mind — these are all learned responses. You’re not broken. You’re conditioned.
And that means you can re-train yourself.
You can choose:
- Calm over chaos.
- Community over consumption.
- Compassion over comparison.
— All My Relations.
We are all connected. May we remember what truly matters.
#PavlovsDog #DopamineAddiction #TraumaAwareness #LotteryTrap #MindfulLiving #IndigenousWisdom #AllMyRelations #WakeUpCall #HealingStartsHere
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