Arch,

Your post got me thinking. Sometimes I feel locked inside of a mind set and it's very difficult for me to break out of it and absorb my surroundings. I think it may have something to do with the way ETS diminishes the body's response to stimulus (heart rate, temp control, blood flow to brain, adrenal and who else knows what the fuck).

And I have the same issue with getting bored (post ets I've always had a strange attraction to the song Bored by Deftones) easily, it almost seems as if my original instincts have been swapped out for avoiding boredom.

Ducky, funny you mention the dopamine. I used to take Adderall and pound substantial amounts of hard liquor when I'd go out on Friday and Saturday nights and only when I combined the two did this strange occurrence happen. My consciousness would sharpen like a blurry double vision picture coming into perfect focus. I wasn't hyper, I wasn't drunk, I was me again... it was like meeting a long lost love that you couldn't comprehend how much you missed. Another thing is that when I'm out of it I'll almost unconsciously spark up a smoke, even if I've just had one. Dopamine reduction or dopamine/adrenaline ratios might have a lot to do with the way we feel.