Some describe love as butterflies fluttering in the stomach; others, like the adrenaline you feel on a roller coaster, and some more like a cosmic sensation coming from another planet. All of us, at least once in our lives, have felt the blow of love; However, few know what a brain in love looks like.
Science is in search of its own definition of love. To do this, a group of scientists rewinded the evolution of human beings to a few million years ago, when the brain circuits for feelings of attachment were formed.
Analyzing the minds of 100 people with a brain scan, the experts searched modern minds for signs of these attachment circuits. Beyond romantic love and feelings, certain basic regions in the brain were activated to give rise to that cosmic and inexplicable sensation that we all try to define. For thousands of years this feeling has been discussed in philosophy, and is part of the lyrics of many songs.
This whirlpool that excites our senses, that revolutionizes the heart, that makes our hands sweat or feel an inexplicable peace, is linked to the oxytocin and vasopressin system, which is related to feelings of calm and attachment.
This is when we can say that the body is under the influence of a brain. Attachment circuits bring up unique sensations when we are in a relationship. This intense energy lights up and activates the entire dopamine system.
The secret behind the brain in love (in long relationships)
According to a common idea, love decreases after several years. But apparently we are wrong about this, because when analyzing the brains of couples who had been in a relationship for more than 8 or 17 months, something different was found.
The bond or circuit of attachment is greater. After knowing them well, feelings towards that person transform into constant and growing attachment. The erratic and passionate love that she initially dominates takes a backseat. Over time, what most affects the love bond is the constant knowledge and learning about the other person.
Your attachment to the other person (without falling into the cliché of the better half) will continue to increase to the extent that you learn from them. You may sometimes hate your partner, but science has proven that as long as the attachment system is strengthened, love will remain intact. Knowing this, did your perception of your relationship and your idea of love change at all?