Cocaine is an alkaloid found in leaves of the South America n
shrub Erythroxylon coca. It is a powerfully reinforcing
psychostimulant . The drug induces a sense of exhilaration in
the user primarily by blocking the reuptake of the
neurotransmitter dopamine in the midbrain. If the predictions of
The Hedonistic Imperative are vindicated, then future millennia
will witness what Robert Anton Wilson once called "hedonic
engineering". Mature enhancements of currently drug-induced
states of euphoria will be transformed into a absolute
presupposition of sentient existence. Life-long happiness will
be genetically pre-programmed. "Peak experiences" will become a
natural part of everyday mental health. Cocaine, alas, offers
only a tragically delusive short-cut. In pre-Columbian times,
the coca leaf was reserved for Inca royalty. The natives
subsequently used it for mystical, religious, social,
nutritional and medicinal purposes. They exploited its stimulant
properties to ward off fatigue and hunger, enhance endurance, a