Ok, so because right now I have 2 weeks worth of chemistry lectures to watch as well as this mornings chemistry lecture, I am writing a procrastinatory blog instead. Wow it turns out procrastinatory is a word. I love language...! Quash your laughter at my nerdiness immediately and keep reading.
So here's the thing, we talk about sex and sexuality a lot, (especially for of you who've been reading since my notes were called "The Whatever Generation", in which case as tried and tested readers I demand you check out the real blog http://idburnthiscitydowntoshowyouthelights.blogspot.com/
But what about love?
I have a friend whom ardently announced on a hung-over road trip once that she believes love does not exist. She suggested when we fall "in love" it simply a justification of lust in cohorts with friendship.
Personally I think it comes down to how you define love.
The oxford dictionary;
-An intense feeling of affection
-A deeply romantic or sexual attachment to someone
-A great interest of pleasure in something
Assuming love is a hypothetical construct (e.g. truth, hate, motivation) these all provide a plausible circumstance for its existence.
But in the popular culture of westernized society love has exceeded the boundaries of this definition, it now comes with connotations of irrationality and a certain blindness, the kind that can only end in heart-break and disaster. Society it seems, loves to take what should be a simple concept and polarize it till an alternate and ambivalent definition has been created. Thus to many Love has become inexplicable, almost spiritual occurrence, one so ridiculous that much of our generation has lost faith in the whole idea.
But what if there was a scientific explanation for "love"? Can we explain this phenomenon in the same way we can explain sadness, and joy? (Which occur consequently with the release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones in the central nervous system).
"Love" is perhaps the most complex, widespread neurological process to date, and there's still a lot of potential candidates as far as neurotransmitters involved go, but here's some research to consider.
When we first fall in love, serotonin levels plummet to a degree similar to that of sufferers of obsessive compulsive disorder. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of well being, excessively low levels of Serotonin can even lead to "religious experiences" and other delusions.
In addition to Serotonin, dopamine floods the brain, giving a high similar to that of illegal stimulants, creating a strong association between pleasure and our love interest. Despite dopamine being a normal neurotransmitter (also released when we eat chocolate and even shop) it is highly addictive, and thus break-ups can lead to withdrawal symptoms worse than those of many addictive drugs.
If you've ever wondered why the lines between love and good sex become blurred, then the answer you're looking for could be Oxytocin, a polypeptide hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It is released in women during labour and is best know for its role in cementing the relationship between a mother and her new born child. But Oxytocin is also released during orgasms for both males and females.The amount of Oxytocin released into the brain increases with the quality and quantity of sex, and creates a sense intimacy similar to maternal closeness.
It can also affect the sex-appeal of total strangers, the more Oxytocin coursing through our veins the more attractive and trusting we find strangers. It is thought that this neurotransmitter dampens the activity in the amygdala, a region of the brain which deals with fear. So next time you have a wonderful one night stand, which ends with you swearing undying love to the persons involved, remember oxytocin.
But then again... who am I to say what's love and what isn't?
Notably Oxytocin levels also surge with the use of the drug Ecstasy, meaning that "coming down" after a high, is literally equivalent to having your heart broken.
One particular study in Switzerland has found that teenagers who consider themselves to be in love, exhibit symptoms and brain wave pattern similar to people suffering from hypomania. They required an average of one hours sleep less than others their age, acted 60% more compulsively, particularly when driving, and had reoccurring intrusive memories similar to people suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. As to whether these symptoms were psychosomatic or not, research was inconclusive.
I have a biology lecture now,
So till next time, don't give up on love.
-Z
So here's the thing, we talk about sex and sexuality a lot, (especially for of you who've been reading since my notes were called "The Whatever Generation", in which case as tried and tested readers I demand you check out the real blog http://idburnthiscitydowntoshowyouthelights.blogspot.com/
But what about love?
I have a friend whom ardently announced on a hung-over road trip once that she believes love does not exist. She suggested when we fall "in love" it simply a justification of lust in cohorts with friendship.
Personally I think it comes down to how you define love.
The oxford dictionary;
-An intense feeling of affection
-A deeply romantic or sexual attachment to someone
-A great interest of pleasure in something
Assuming love is a hypothetical construct (e.g. truth, hate, motivation) these all provide a plausible circumstance for its existence.
But in the popular culture of westernized society love has exceeded the boundaries of this definition, it now comes with connotations of irrationality and a certain blindness, the kind that can only end in heart-break and disaster. Society it seems, loves to take what should be a simple concept and polarize it till an alternate and ambivalent definition has been created. Thus to many Love has become inexplicable, almost spiritual occurrence, one so ridiculous that much of our generation has lost faith in the whole idea.
But what if there was a scientific explanation for "love"? Can we explain this phenomenon in the same way we can explain sadness, and joy? (Which occur consequently with the release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones in the central nervous system).
"Love" is perhaps the most complex, widespread neurological process to date, and there's still a lot of potential candidates as far as neurotransmitters involved go, but here's some research to consider.
When we first fall in love, serotonin levels plummet to a degree similar to that of sufferers of obsessive compulsive disorder. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of well being, excessively low levels of Serotonin can even lead to "religious experiences" and other delusions.
In addition to Serotonin, dopamine floods the brain, giving a high similar to that of illegal stimulants, creating a strong association between pleasure and our love interest. Despite dopamine being a normal neurotransmitter (also released when we eat chocolate and even shop) it is highly addictive, and thus break-ups can lead to withdrawal symptoms worse than those of many addictive drugs.
If you've ever wondered why the lines between love and good sex become blurred, then the answer you're looking for could be Oxytocin, a polypeptide hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It is released in women during labour and is best know for its role in cementing the relationship between a mother and her new born child. But Oxytocin is also released during orgasms for both males and females.The amount of Oxytocin released into the brain increases with the quality and quantity of sex, and creates a sense intimacy similar to maternal closeness.
It can also affect the sex-appeal of total strangers, the more Oxytocin coursing through our veins the more attractive and trusting we find strangers. It is thought that this neurotransmitter dampens the activity in the amygdala, a region of the brain which deals with fear. So next time you have a wonderful one night stand, which ends with you swearing undying love to the persons involved, remember oxytocin.
But then again... who am I to say what's love and what isn't?
Notably Oxytocin levels also surge with the use of the drug Ecstasy, meaning that "coming down" after a high, is literally equivalent to having your heart broken.
One particular study in Switzerland has found that teenagers who consider themselves to be in love, exhibit symptoms and brain wave pattern similar to people suffering from hypomania. They required an average of one hours sleep less than others their age, acted 60% more compulsively, particularly when driving, and had reoccurring intrusive memories similar to people suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. As to whether these symptoms were psychosomatic or not, research was inconclusive.
I have a biology lecture now,
So till next time, don't give up on love.
-Z
5 comments:
This blog is depressing, Zaza. Love as a chemical reaction?? Why can't SOME things remain a mystery? As a self confessed romantic, I'm saddened by these biological explanations for WHY my mother loves me, WHY I cherish certain memories of exes... How sad-making. : /
ahaha. i'm enjoying being the inspiration for some of your blogging, its almost as good as if i was actually named in them :) almost a form of mysterious celebrity.
does this mean you do think love exists in all its romantic glory? or that it exists only as a chemical reaction (and by definition is not really love)? or that this means that it doesn't exist as anything even separate to emotions that may or may not have congruent relationships with biological functions of the body?or that it exists at all?
I would like to say that my cynicism about love also exists in a state of mystery that cant be explained by science and that's how I like it....
perhaps there's an argument for the idea that life experience and individual perceptions predicate whether or not love exists and peoples ability to fall in love ... but lets not argue :P
Oh, but let's do. I don't WANT to know what this mysterious 'love' is, that everyone talks about so continuously. Because this love that you're reducing to bare facts isn't what I want- I want the mystery, the imagination and the craziness of pure, unadulterated mutual infatuation. I once told an ex that I would not say "I love you" until I meant it, and broke that rule as soon I started dating the person after them. Zaza seems to think its affection, lust and interest- but, is love just an emotion? Her biological explanation is all body bound, though, so is it all physical? I honestly, 100% believe love exists - I have to, I want to make a career on writing about the damn thing-, but how and why it occurs is something beyond MY comprehension. I like to think that blogs like these are the attempt to locate it, part of the continuous drama played out by humanity, to explain the unexplainable. This is why you see rules crop up, rules that will define, dissect, and qualify love for the unimaginative. What is religion but a system of rules to regulate the emotions and behaviour of the masses? If there are rules on how to hate, why not how to love? To quantify types and validities of loves- like, is gay love less valuable for not being able to produce offspring, which will set off more hormones of crazy baby-love, and mother-love?
It's interesting, I'll give you that, for a proof that love even exists. But when I do finally fall for a girl because of her amazing smile rather than anything rational, I don't want to be thinking 'oh, but that's just Oxytocin flooding me with gooeyness.'
I believe both your responses require a second blog to expand on my point of view. So restrain your responses till tomorrow, when I post it :) you both bring you a lot of points for consideration.
inspired.... msts start making an energy drink full of Oxytocin.... big money mmmmmm
Post a Comment