I'm addicted to cognitive ecstasy—meaning I enjoy the high of "connecting the dots" or understanding something; these moments when things become clear give me an intense high. My high is always reflective, peaceable, intellectually exciting, and sociable, unlike most drug highs, and there is never a hangover. I can remember the night that I suddenly realized what it was like to be crazy, or nights when my feelings and perceptions were of a religious nature.

What distinguishes our species is the ability to reason. The cerebral cortex is, in a way, a liberation. We need no longer be trapped in the genetically inherited behavior patterns of lizards and baboons—territoriality, aggression, and dominance hierarchies. We are each of us largely responsible for what gets put into our brains, for what, as adults, we wind up caring for and knowing about. No longer at the mercy of the reptile brain, we can change ourselves. Think of the possibilities.