Have you ever had that moment when you see another person, and your heart starts to immediately beat faster, your hands become clammy, your throat suddenly can not form words, or even breathe for that matter? It’s the feeling of love at first sight. You feel it from the tip of your body all the way to your toes, but most importantly, in your heart. Or do you?
The feeling of love is not exactly an act of the heart. Although, it definitely seems like it to most people, especially when it involves having your “heart broken” by love. Even on holidays honoring love, there are hearts involved. However, the brain is the major organ at use when the feeling of love is endured. According to “The Science of Love”, there are three different stages of love, and all include major actions from the brain.
The first stage of love is lust. Lust is defined as a very strong sexual yearning for someone. This feeling is the cause of sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen being released. The brain recognizes this strong sexual desire, and releases these specific hormones so that the feeling can actually be recognized and felt.
The next stage of love is attraction. Attraction, being similar to lust, performs similar actions. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are released, and cling onto the synaptic cleft. The release of these neurotransmitters creates a feeling of temporary exuberance and insanity. Love, can quite possibly be described as just that; happiness with a touch of insanity.
Finally, attachment is the final stage of love. Important in this stage are two hormones that are released by the nervous system called oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin is released by both partners sex organs while in orgasm. This creates a strong type of bond between partners. Vasopressin also has been proven to play a major role in the feeling of long term commitment.
All in all, the next time you fall in love; thank your brain, and not your heart.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/
This is a great post and always makes me wonder how did love first get associated with the heart? Science has proven for quite sometime now that love is coming from chemicals released by our brain. I did some further research on why love was first associated with the heart and found many reasons. The one that made most sense to me is that the heat was first thought to control everything in your body. Here is an interesting article on why love is associated with the heart http://aphroditei.hubpages.com/hub/Loveandheartsymbol.
I found your post super interesting. I never even thought about the idea of love being in your brain, I always just assumed it cam from your heart. I found an article that further discusses the brain structure of love you should check it out! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120620101011.htm
I really enjoyed reading this article. Most people are skeptical when it comes to love at first sight, but even fewer tend to blame love on their brains. Technically speaking, your heart doesn’t think. It may circulate blood throughout your body and it may seem to beat faster when you’re near someone attractive, but it is truly our brains that make us fall in love. Interesting topic!
I do believe that the brain controls certain feelings, it is just different part of the brain that actually control the feelings. On this website it shows in detail the three types of love and the network of love, which is interesting.
I found this blog to be interesting for I would always say my mind and heart were two separate things. You know when you know that old flame is no good for you (your brain speaking) but you just can’t seem to let them go (you heart thinking.) While I do agree that our brain certainly does all the thinking (no neurotransmitters are coming from the heart to send a message) I still think that in a sense it is split when it comes to love. You know the saying “love makes you do crazy things.” I would usually make sound normal choices and always think reasonably but when it comes to the one I love my choices never make sense. If a friend would make me mad or screw me over I could easily cut them off but if the one I love were to do the same thing I would feel more inclined to hold on(mind you both choices were made with the same brain.) While you made a logical point that your heart doesn’t think , I still believe your brain is in a way split when it comes to the one you love. This link gives a bit more on the way your brain works while in love http://mentalfloss.com/article/54447/what-happens-your-brain-when-youre-love