Stimulation Below Optimal Levels

Recently I gave a brief talk about the basics of Affect Theory, and a keen listener asked about stimulation below optimal levels. At that moment I recalled one of the first things I ever read about Tomkins's theory--the introduction to Affect Theory presented so clearly and succinctly in M.F. Basch's elegant book titled Understanding Psychotherapy. (That was really the first thing I read that helped me understand why it is important to distinguish between affect and emotion,too, and just what in the world an affect is.) I recalled that Basch proposed that another affect may exist--boredom. He thought that boredom was an affect resulting from below-optimal levels of stimulation. What opinions/comments do you, Don, Vick, or anyone have about this proposition? I frankly don't know what to think, although I have noticed that in my limited reading so far I have not seen mention of below-optimal levels of stimulation other than Basch's reference to it. And I'm wondering what boredom may be if it's not suboptimal stimulation. I hope it may be possible to explore this idea a bit.

.............. "The superfluous is very necessary." Voltaire

• Boredom, distress, and the clarinet by Don Nathanson, 5/13/97
  • Great Story, Great Explanation! by Jim Duffy, 5/13/97