The science behind falling in love

WHAT does love do to your brain chemicals? When do you know if you fancy someone? With an irresistible cocktail of chemicals, our brain entices us to fall in love. We believe we are choosing a partner, but we may merely be happy victims of nature's lovely plan.
Looking into a lover's eyes is like looking into a fire …. Thanks to shot of adrenaline by your brain, your palms sweat, your breathing gets shallow, your skin feels hot, and your pupils dilate. Your amygdala, the centre of the brain that processes emotion, blazes with activity. At the same time you produce dopamine, a 'feel good' neurotransmitter that is associated with passion and addiction, and oxytocin is another neurotransmitter related to strong bonding. All of these processes occur within 90 seconds to 4 minutes.
Although people experience love differently, the biological sequences are unique. Neuroscientists dissected all of these processes in love and divided them into three stages: lust, attraction and attachment. Lust is the first stage of love, which is driven by sex hormones testosterone and estrogen in men and women, respectively
In the attraction stage, neurotransmitter adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin are released. Adrenaline has a charming effect when we unexpectedly bump into a new love. We start to sweat, the heart races and mouth goes dry. The dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain affects various organs. Have you ever noticed that you sweat more in the early stages of love? Or the sky seems bluer? Dopamine, in the context of arousal, is partly responsible for that. As a consequence of dopamine being released, mood and emotions are also influenced, leading to feelings of excitement and happiness. It has the same effect on the brain as cocaine. Serotonin is one of love's most important chemicals, and one that may actually make us temporarily insane, and let your new lover keep popping up in your thoughts.
The last stage is attachment. People couldn't possibly stay in the attraction stage forever; otherwise they would never get any work done! Attachment is a longer lasting commitment and is the bond that keeps couples together when they go on to have children. In this stage, two important neurochemicals, oxytocin and vasopressin, are released by the nervous system. Oxytocin is the powerful neurotransmitter released by men and women during orgasm. It probably deepens the feelings of attachment and makes couples feel much closer to one another after they have had sex. Oxytocin also seems to help cement the strong bond between mum and baby, and is also released during birth. It has been shown by a Japanese professor Dr. Higashida that if you block the natural release of oxytocin in the brain of rats or mice, they reject their own young. Oxytocin can be released through physical touch, like stroking, cuddling, hugging and kissing. Vasopressin is another important neurochemical in the long-term commitment stage and is released after sex. Vasopressin works with your kidneys to control thrust, but its potential role has been discovered in the long-term relationship.
In addition to these neurotransmitters, endorphin is another neurochemical that is released during sex.  It provides the 'feel-good, calming' effect that one feels immediately after orgasm.  Find out how the three stages can feel even stronger for teenagers experiencing their first love.  
Love is the ultimate positive reinforcement. Love is powerful motivator for being good. The affective part of the goodwill is no poor sister to the rational. It can be an effective guide to good action.

The writer is Instructor, Dept. of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.  
E-mail: m_shahid1964@yahoo.com