Hedonic engineering, as described by Jamie Wheal, refers to the deliberate design and application of techniques and practices aimed at optimizing human pleasure, well-being, and performance. It encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, integrating insights from neuroscience, psychology, pharmacology, and technology, to create conditions that maximize individual and collective experiences of joy, flow, and meaning. Wheal emphasizes that this emerging field is not just about hedonism for its own sake but about harnessing the science of happiness to foster a more engaged, fulfilled, and connected existence. It is a mindful, ethical pursuit of peak experiences and sustained flourishing, achieved through a blend of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge innovation.
See also: flow state, peak experience, altered state, non-ordinary state, peak performance