From the "Philosophical Parables" Series

Alexander Panchin once decided to make a video about masturbation—not just to critique Bryan Johnson and religious figures, but to highlight its evolutionary role across species, from bedbugs to orangutans.

Along the way, he realized that, broadly speaking, masturbation is simply self-generated pleasure: setting a goal, executing it, and enjoying the result.

This is a vital evolutionary mechanism driven by the brain. Without a pleasure feedback loop to reinforce actions, neural plasticity couldn't exist. When the prefrontal cortex initiates goal-directed behavior, it triggers the brain's reward system:

The Reward Pathway: Signals travel from the prefrontal cortex to the striatum (nucleus accumbens) and the ventral tegmental area, triggering a release of dopamine back to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex, creating satisfaction.
Supporting Systems: The amygdala evaluates emotional significance, the hippocampus stores the context, serotonin regulates patience, and norepinephrine sharpens focus.
Neuroplasticity in Action: Meeting expectations stabilizes dopamine signals, while exceeding them causes a phasic burst that rewires synaptic connections. The circuit completes as glutamate projections from the thalamus loop back to the prefrontal cortex.
Pleasure isn't passive; the brain calculates it as the difference between expected and actual outcomes, allowing it to learn and optimize future decisions.

So, where does consciousness fit in? Philosophers often ponder questions like, "Do philosophical zombies masturbate?"

As for whether Artificial Intelligence masturbates—you'll have to watch Alexander Panchin's video to find out.

#philosophicalparables