吃辣,竟是“痛觉”体验!你爽的是舌头,而痛的是全身……( 十 )

According to psychologist Paul Rozin of the University of Pennsylvania, about a third of the people around the world eat hot peppers every single day. Why? Because they "love the burn". At a symposium on gastro-psychology during this year's Association for Psychological Science convention, Rozin pointed out that humans are the only species – we know about – that specifically seek out what would otherwise be considered negative events.

这种对于负面感官刺激的追求被科学家称之为“享乐逆转”(hedonic reversal)或“良性受虐机制”(benign masochism) 。 科学研究表明 , 似乎只有人类能从消极的感觉本身中获取快乐 。

也许我们追寻吃辣的痛苦经历 , 同时又有意识地告诉自己吃辣没有真正的危险 。

Perhaps we seek out the painful experience of snacking on chillies while consciously maintaining awareness that there is no real danger to ourselves.