<center>*"Now a soft kiss - Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss."* -- John Keats</center>

**What actually is bliss..?** It's not happiness -- it's bigger than happiness, definitely bigger than just happiness. Don't get me wrong happiness is great -- *but it's not bliss…* Contentment, delight, pleasure, elation. We've all heard the term *"ignorance is bliss"* -- but it's not any of those, either.

<center>![bliss](https://s6.postimg.org/vwnodyyep/muse_bliss_09_crop_c0_5_0_5_1920x1080_75.jpg)</center>

*It's more like a constant state of perfect joy..,* I would imagine. I mean, I have experienced, moments, of bliss.., myself… And everything else seems to disappear -- good nor bad can effect this state (it just can't)… That light that shines inside of us, now surrounds your whole being.., and you see things through this perfect prism of where happiness, meaning and truth all meet. Complete and whole.., connected to that "oneness."

**Scientifically, bliss has been compared to an orgasm (a good one)..,** and as opposed to meditation, which is more cerebral… An orgasm is heightened sense of self, not looking at yourself -- but being truly within yourself.<br>
<center>*"Like a saint's vision of beatitude. 
Like a veil of things as they seem drawn back by an unseen hand. 
For a second you see -- and seeing the secret, are the secret. For a second there is meaning!"* -- Eugene O'Neill</center><br>**I love those words by Eugene O'Neill from..,** *A Long Days Journey Into Night…* They go on to say -- *"Then the hand lets the veil fall and you are alone, lost in the fog again, and you stumble on toward nowhere, for no good reason!"* It's those moments of innate knowing, unflinching awareness of something greater than ourselves… And then the bitter irony that follows such moments, *when life sucks you back in…*

<h3><center>**But we are aware that it exists -- bliss. 
We've felt it, had the experience of living in it.., 
if only for a moment, here and there…**</center></h3>

Knowing bliss as a real thing, as opposed some idea of the perfect state… But our natural state of being is under attack from the moment they crack you in the ass and you take your first breathe… It is assaulted, everyday.., by images, sounds, text, poor behavior, bad habits, rudeness, etc., etc…

We are surrounded by things that directly remove us from that place of peace, if you live in the world today… The gadgets that are basically attached to our being, to keep us informed of the latest bullshit, that drags us further down the rabbit hole.., and further from that state of bliss.


Besides the quest, the search for bliss -- we actually produce it in our brain. Known as the "bliss molecule" anandamide (taken from the Sanskrit Ananda, meaning bliss -- is a neurotransmitter that binds THC to it's receptors. Unfortunately, anandamide is very fragile and breaks down in the body very quickly.., and therefore cannot provide us with a constant state of bliss.

<center>![molecule](https://s6.postimg.org/i499ic7n5/mp_550x550_matte_ffffff_t_3u2.jpg)</center>

Anandamide (the bliss molecule) possesses both anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties, ti helps slow down the spread of cancer.., and is produced in areas of the brain that responsible  for higher thought processes. And if we know how, we can increase the amount of anandamide (bliss) our brain produces…<br>
<center>*"Then the moment of ecstatic freedom came. the peace, 
the end of the quest, the last harbor, the joy of belonging to a fulfillment 
beyond men's lousy, pitiful, greedy fears and hopes and dreams!"* -- Eugene O'Neill</center><br>*Chocolate contains not only anandamide..,* but compounds that slow it's breakdown -- leaving us feeling much happier after a quality piece of chocolate. Preferably, you want to eat cacao nibs -- which is where chocolate comes from -- and are loaded with all kinds of health benefits, including the bliss molecule. And if you have some cash lying around -- scientists have recently discovered that black truffles produce anandamide.

**Ever been -- In The Zone…** That state of consciousness where we our bodies, mind and spirit are all on the same page, performing their best. Our brain recognizes this and creates more anandamide and other mood enhancing chemicals to support and encourage that kind of optimal performance. Almost like a the high a "runner" experiences after a certain distance, which used to be attributed to endorphins, is now related to the release of anandamide (the bliss molecule).

**So, in our search for bliss..,** we must remember that is not some other-worldly thing, that is completely unfamiliar to us -- something we must chase. But rather a natural state of being that lives inside of us. It exists inside -- inside our heart, soul and mind. We just need to tap into it.., and let it become more active in our lives… It is a part of who we are.., *the abundance of it, or lack of it!*
<br>
Image Source: [1](http://moggach.com/media/moggach/__sized__/work/2001/muse-bliss/images/muse-bliss-stills/muse-bliss-09-crop-c0-5__0-5-1920x1080-75.jpg) [2](http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.193432035.2104/mp,550x550,matte,ffffff,t.3u2.jpg)