Thursday, 24 September 2009!
LAMENTED AT; 11:13 pm
The Science between "Love".
I was randomly google searching and came across this very taboo topic. After delving into the few articles, I realised it was blog worthy and so, here it is. :)
My intro has been ripped off from
here.
Why do we use the expression
“falling in love” to describe a state in which a person experiences the joy and elation of erotic feelings for a sexual
partner. In other words, if erotic passion truly provides a higher state of happiness, why shouldn’t we use the expression,
“ascending in love”, e.g., or
“thriving in love”, or something similar?
Popular expressions are not generally formed by chance. Words are living “things” carrying energy, and they accurately describe situations and states of being. Let us list some of the meanings of the verb “fall”:
- To lose an upright position
- To lessen in amount or degree
- To decline in value
- To undergo conquest or capture
- To experience defeat
Are any of these states associated with “falling in love”? Most certainly they are! “Falling in love” has to do with capturing one’s heart and being captured by another; it has to do with conquest and captivation; it means “acquiring” someone, as if he/she were a property of sorts, and be acquired; it leads to decline of personality value, since those in love usually lose themselves in the process and cannot reason clearly or act wisely.
xxx
And so, this is for everyone who thinks he/she's been through it. It's normal! hallelujah. In fact, it's so normal, it's scientific. So for my very interesting entry today, I will quote and edit some info I ripped off websites to further explain this crazy feeling we hopefully will be lucky enough to experience one day.
I'm disorientated! i can't do anything properly or think straight.
When we fall in love, our brains experience an explosion of powerful chemicals. The neural profile that emerges has led some scientists to compare the initial stages of love to mental illnesses like obsessive compulsive disorder and mania, the manic phase of manic depression.
The science behind being blissfully happy?
Technology has revealed about falling in love is that it involves areas located deep within the brain, in a region which takes care of basic functions like eating and drinking. What is striking about these areas, known as the right caudate nucleus and the right ventral tegmental area, is that they are rich in cells that receive or produce dopamine, a chemical linked to reward, and associated with euphoria, craving and addiction.
Maybe we're not so different after all?
A study by Donatella Marazziti of the University of Pisa showed that...
In the initial stage of love, men and women become more alike. Love-struck men have less testosterone- a hormone linked to aggression and sex. Where as, love-struck women have more. Men, in some way, become more like women, and women become like men. It's as if nature wants to eliminate what can be different in men and women, because it's more important to survive at this stage.”
But How?
A 1999 study found that the brains of those who are in the early stages of love and those who suffer from OCD were equally low in the brain chemical serotonin. This is thought to be caused by powerful chemicals associated with romantic love, such as adrenaline and phenylethylamine (or PEA, also present in small amounts in chocolate). These chemicals cause euphoria, but also lower serotonin, and the result seems to be an increase in obsessive behaviour.
*****
Serotonin:
Levels of serotonin in the brain show association with aggression.
The role of serotonin in animals with a more complex nerve system is in perceptions of more complex life situations such as, for example, social rank. If a lobster is injected with serotonin, it behaves like a dominant animal.
*****
The effect of sex and cuddles on the brain is similar to that induced by opiates: levels of serotonin increase, as do levels of two other chemicals: oxytocin, the 'cuddle hormone', and vasopressin, both thought to be implicated in pair bonding. The theory is that monogamy depends on these chemicals, which make partners addicted to each other.
For example, Prairie voles are normally faithful animals, but this can be changed by tampering with the release of oxytocin and vasopressin in their brains. They can also be made to bond to a partner, without any sex taking place, if injected with the two. According to Larry Young, a researcher into social attachment, it is likely humans too become addicted to each other through a similar mechanism. And, once we are hooked, attachment kicks in, and with it feelings of calm, rather than obsession.
Did you know that...
romantic love is a drive and is stronger than lust, as people are more likely to commit suicide or homicide when rejected by someone they love than when their sexual overtures fail.
Quotable Quotes:
Describe sex in a sentence...
As described by a Roman Emperor and great Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius regarding sex.
“and as for sexual intercourse, it is the rubbing of a piece of intestine, then a convulsion, and the spurting of some mucus.”
What is being in love like?
Kyle (not his real name) an OCD patient describes it...
“Being with someone I love is almost like an antidote to the OCD, it makes me feel calm, reassured and safe. I don't care about contamination at all with a person I love – their touch doesn't taint and I learn to trust them to wash things for me. They're on my side, and can usually do no wrong. Being in love is a cocoon from the outside world. It's your own little microcosm of trust, where everything is under the control of people you trust. A little paradise refuge where you can be safe.”
xxxxx
Let's all hope that we all regard relationships as how Kyle describes it. ;) Props to KENG YEE for her awesome discovery of highlights! :D
On a totally unrelated note, I'm off to Singapore tomorrow so forgive me if I don't reply your text or calls!
I hope that was as enlightening to you as it was to me. See ya'll.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009!
LAMENTED AT; 6:28 pm
Yesterday was a great day!
It seems I have lost the flow of blogging. The way I see it, there are two strategies to adopt when writing a post.
1) the friendly "I'll tell you about my day!" approach.2) the "I'll tell you something very interesting and/but factual" approach.Since the latter requires some brain power and a certain amount of thoughtfulness, I think I will give it a pass. Because I simply can't think of anything interesting to blog about except the one thing that doesn't really concern everyone else but is still stuck somewhere in my head like... A piece of rotten fruit. Though I don't know why I used that analogy...
Holidays have been very drab. But i can't complain. I kinda like the feeling of not having to do anything at all. :D It's a very nice change. On the bright side, my cousin has been very kind to lend me season 1 and 2 of One Tree Hill!!
I refused to take the other seasons cause I actually want to try to do something useful and productive during the holidays. My brain will
NOT turn to dust!
It's like you've torn a part of me out & I can't get it back. But somehow, I really like it. This is for you, Jude.
It Won't!!
Saturday, 19 September 2009!
LAMENTED AT; 11:52 am
Hurray! Trials are over
But i guess most of you have already experienced this sharp relief. :)
I realized i haven't blogged in ages. it even feels weird typing what I'm thinking. I can finally sit down and finish my book. And i just have to say that World Without End is one of the best books I've ever read. It is completely awesome and never ever boring. The plot is so exciting I can never sleep right before reading it. I am sooo gonna get my hands on the first book! Kinda sad i couldn't gind the first book first but oh well..
A book is like
chocolate. you can look forward to it and crave it but not getting the right one can be very dissatisfying. if you're looking for dark chocolate but can only find white, no matter how exquisite the white one may be, you'll still find yourself disappointed and craving the dark. After you've eaten a whole bunch of chocolate, you won't feel the novelty any more. That's when only the best and unforgettable books get etched in your memory. You know when doing something always reminds you of that particular book you've read.
You'll feel like you're in your own little world and somehow the book you read changes your perspective on certain things. If thought and reasoning was a straight beam of light, books would be the side mirrors and lenses that bend and shape your final outlook.
Anyways, I've got to go out for lunch so I shall blog later. :) I just thought i needed to say all the above.
Hardeehaarr. yennie's back from zombie-mode. Woooooooooooohoooo!
