Source: happiness is sitting in the brain: a neuroscientist to explore the biological foundations of joy
What joy comes in the brain? Main role messenger opioids.
joy has countless occasions, difficult to grasp. "Basic needs: hunger and sex," joy when breastfed. 60s: dopamine is a chemical basis for joy, stimulates nerve cells in the reward center. Computer tomography shows center active when people enjoy food, sex, music, drugs.
oppose attempts Dopamine than Freud-source, it show as the request origin. Rats with damaged dopamine receptors ate not forced to eat the sweets but they enjoyed.
dopamine signals generated Verlangen & body needs. For joy at the request fulfillment ensures messenger opioids (endorphins, heroin). If opioid-blocking activity, not food tastes, despite hunger.
ability to enjoy in two brain regions: ventral pallidum (near the reward center) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) behind eyes. Opioids, directly injected into the ventral pallidum increase of sweet joy. Joy disappears when ventral pallidum destroyed.
joy in the OFC is a response to sensory stimuli. 3 pleasant / unpleasant odors breathe. Brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging observed. 1) smelling: sensory cortex is active, depending on the odor intensity of reaction more independent of pleasant / unpleasant smell. 2) signal to OFC. Various field activity at pleasant / unpleasant odors. The better / worse smell, the stronger reaction.
joy of fragrance (and other sense impressions) is innate. Complicated as auditory perception. Fünftonmusik like all primitive peoples. Even cows give more milk when music is running. Jazz music can only access its with growth into Culture. Enjoy more complex sound patterns are learned. But even with
learned pleasures similar underlying brain processes the Rosen trial course. OFC activity. Probably in connection with special nerve cell group.
already gone? No. 
