Hedonic engineering is an emerging multi-disciplinary field that investigates the biological, psychological and ecological factors that drive human happiness, or well-being. It seeks to understand the dynamics between what gives meaning and purpose to our lives, and how those elements combine to create optimal outcomes. It addresses both the ‘now’ and ‘then’, by designing both short and long-term strategies to increase well-being through a blend of theoretical understandings, new technologies, and applied behavior change. Put simply, hedonic engineering seeks to optimize the subjective experience at the level of an individual for the greatest collective benefit.

See also: flow state, peak experience, altered state, non-ordinary state, peak performance