"On a high" leading to another "low"

To be "on a high" is the new buzzword. People go to parties and dance to be on a "high". I often wonder whether this being of "high" is actually high or a new low. Basically, we are enjoying a sudden rush of certain neurotransmitters that are meant for quite different purposes. Sometimes, people go crazy to the extent of taking drugs to get this state of "high". But isn't every "high" followed by a new low because it is not possible for the body to continuously sustain this high physiologically and that's why the moment "high" is gone, we start feeling "low" till we get another "high" again. This perpetual craving for "high" makes us perpetually sad and depressed leaving aside these moments of "high".

Isn't the same phenomena occurring with those who are in the mad race for money, power, networking, and positions. Are they not running a similar way after these things. Every new addition to their list of properties, every new connection, and powerful position puts them on the "high" to again experience another low followed by a strong craving for the new "high". 

Can we see how this addiction to "high" makes our lives limited and linear? Life has so many dimensions to explore. Most of us would agree that when we face completely unknown territory, we have the richest experiences. When we visit a place for the first time, we explore different parts of the place with a lot of curiosity and surprises. I remember when I visited Paris for the first time, it was so wonderful to explore the city. That wonder continued till the second or third visit because I had something new to explore. After that, it became a routine. Similarly, exploring new areas of knowledge is so much fun. I started reading Astrology sometime around 2011 and it was so much of fun that I used to get up at 4 in the morning to read the books. I would be reading the horoscopes for 12 hours a day to understand the deeper meaning of the same. Similarly, the study of neurology and quantum physics fascinated me for years.

How is this interest and curiosity different from the craving for the high? I feel that there is a fundamental difference between the two. When somebody intends to get high, either through partying or drinking or drugs or money or power or position, it is like increasing the volume of the music in the room and listening to the beats and dancing to the tune of the same music again and again. There is a craving for repetition. One has got addicted to something and therefore wants not only a repeat dose but also a higher dose of the same experience. That makes him limited and linear.

On the other hand, exploration starts with surrendering. One knows that he does not know what is there in store for him. He lets go of what he knows so far and observes the unknown with a keenness. That novelty does something wonderful to him. It expands his horizon. I feel so every time I go to the J Krishnamurti Foundation for the Sunday discussions. The discussions are never on any pre-decided subject. They just flow. Most of the time, while participating in the discussions, I get surprised by so many things that I never spoke about and which come somewhere from the deep unconscious. We listen to the life experiences of others and relate to them as if they are our own experiences. It so happens when we sit silently in the park to observe the nature. We move beyond the limitations of thought and connect to the life naked, without any pretensions. 

I feel that the craving of being on "high" makes us more and more limited while exploration into the unknown territories expands our horizon. It makes us richer. After every "high", we feel the new low, while on the other hand, after each new exploration, we feel more contended. In fact, when exploration becomes our habit, we explore each moment. Each interaction with human beings gives us immense opportunity to explore human nature. Each moment becomes a wonderful opportunity to observe our reactions to different situations exploring our deep unconscious. That makes life so wonderful and meaningful as compared to a life full of craving for another "high".