Romantic Love found in Brain Scans

Love as an Emotion

Arguably, Love is the primal human emotion that connects us all.

Whether it's platonic, familial or romantic, young, old, and it's not always perfect.

Our hearts feel Love intensely, but modern science shows us that Love begins in the brain.

What Happens when we fall in love?

When we fall in Love, our brain is hijacked (Dopamine, Adrenaline) by a concoction of euphoria-inducing chemicals.

Finding a life partner

We met at a friends birthday bbq. I was very interested in her from the very beginning. I was sweating, and my heart was racing, almost as if I had just run a marathon or something.

Everything was going at triple speed. (Oxytocin, Serotonin, Vasopressin)

Falling in Love was intoxicating. We decided to take a walk together. It was as if our little walk had taken a rather unexpected turn.

I think on my part; there was a certain feeling of astonishment. Like, wow! Is this happening, like Today? Now? Really? Remember your first date? Well, science may be able to explain why. (Dopamine) When you're lovestruck, your brain releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone that's also responsible for storing long-term memories.

So an injection of Love may be a natural memory booster. It was one summertime. I think I mostly remember her hair. I remember the way she used to layer it.

He used to wear cologne. If I smelled that right now, it would bring back, like, the late '80s at the movie theatre or the mall.

As a new parent, Love can change areas of the brain (Motivation, Behavior) linked to motivation and behaviour. (Learning, Memory, Emotional Growth) And their nurturing can increase their child's learning, memory and emotional growth.

As a Parent

I remember when my daughter was born. Just that happy feeling I got when they put her in my arms, and I wanted to do everything for her. It was just like a different love.

It was so exciting, and words can't explain the feeling. My father-child bond is fierce. It's almost a sixth sense. When we had our firstborn and I met her, it blew my mind! It made my heart swell, and my heart got bigger. Physically, I just felt it get bigger.

As a Grandparent

Even doting grandparents can get a cognitive boost while babysitting. Studies show that grandmothers who care for their grandchildren one day a week have improved brain function.

At the heart of it all, your connections with others can make your life more enjoyable and your brain more powerful.

You can reinvent your Love by trying new things with the object of your affection.

Evidence from Science

Researcher Lucy Brown a professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and her research partner of Rutgers University anthropologist, Helen Fisher, argues that the romantic love drive is even stronger than the sex drive.

In their study, they use an MRI machine to study the brains of the smitten. They observed that when people who are madly in Love think of their sweethearts, many parts of the brain are activated, but one thing all their study subjects had in common was activation in a "primitive" part of the brain just above the brainstem. This passion is part of one of our most profound, most important reward systems.

Conclusion

Studies concluded that this combination of Love and new experiences, both of which flood your brain with dopamine, can make your mind a more effective memory-making machine.

Your brain on Love is scientifically approved.

References

Neuroscience studies romantic love through brain scans (MRI) and we offer you rational Valentine's Day cards (pri.org)

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