Remember the famous song from Dil, "Mujhe neend na aaye…"? The lovebirds croon about how love has led to insomnia and restlessness. Did we just dissect the romantic number and make it sound like science? Well, you will be surprised to know that the beautiful, romantic emotions associated with love actually are pure science. Love affects not just the heart, but the brain as well, which leads to a very noticeable transformation of an individual! In fact, the brain has a major role to play here.
When we fall in love, according to some scientists, the activity of the brain, when looked at via scans and MRI, is almost exactly the same as someone who is on cocaine! Insanity and love look very much alike as far as brain activity is concerned in both situations. It has been proved that there is no other condition that compares with the euphoria of being in love. Let us look at what exactly causes this insane surge of emotions and ecstasy.
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When you fall in love your hormones go crazy, literally! These chemicals are the rogues responsible for making you have sweaty palms and heartbeats that resemble a pounding hammer! And as if that were not enough, the upsurge of the hormone dopamine actually gets you “high”, which explains that dizzy, giddy, happy feeling when you are smitten by that special someone.
With the hormones jumping all over the place, making you feel absolutely sure that you are in love, the opioid system (the centre in brain that controls pain) in your brain is activated. This is the same part that is also activated with the use of painkillers like morphine! So, as it can be imagined, the brain is literally left numb after this. Because of this, you cannot concentrate on anyone else but your special someone. You tend to find your partner even more attractive than they are! In fact, once in love, you tend to not even compare your partner with anyone else, and what the rest of the world thinks about them does not matter to you at all.
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This is literally what the brain says to the rest of the body when in love- increase the blood flow to the pleasure centre. It means that once a person falls in love, their brain receives more blood in a part called the nucleus accumbens (the pleasure centre in the brain). MRI scans have shown that this part actually lights up when people are in love. But why does the brain need more blood there? Increased blood flow means more oxygen supplied, and more oxygen means that the pleasure centre is able to generate more pleasure sensations and emotions. This makes even simple gestures, like holding hands, a pleasurable acitivity!
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Being in love drops the serotonin levels- something that is a common finding in people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The low serotonin levels make you fixate over one thing, which in this case, is your partner. In fact, this is also the reason why, during the initial phases of most relationships, couples tend to be blind to each other’s flaws or faults. All they can focus on, is the best in each other.
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Neuroscientists have observed that after being in love for a while, the brain gets immune to these chemical surges. This is when you feel that your relationship has reached a steady and stable phase. That is when “happy hormones”, oxytocin and vasopressin, flood the brain, creating the feeling of attachment and a sense of security. This means that once the initial euphoria has faded, your brain tells you that 'this one is a keeper'.
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And you thought it what your heart playing the love game all this while? Well, if you are still not very clear, take a look at the short clip below that will summarise it all for you.
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