Love is like a symphony of the brain, from the first spark to the last tears, neurochemicals and brain systems weave this spiritual journey. Are you curious about the role the brain plays in a relationship? How does it guide us from the sweetness of first love to the heartbreak at the end?
【Today's TED Intensive Reading】: The Science of Falling in Love! The Science Behind Love!
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love is often described as heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and even heartbreaking.
We often describe love as heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and even heartbreaking.
so, what does the brain h**e to do with it?
So what does the brain have to do with it?
everything!
It's all about it! the journey from first spark to last tear is guided by a symphony of neurochemicals and brain systems.
The journey from the first spark to the last tear is made up of neurochemicals and brain systems.
as you begin to fall for someone, you may find yourself excessively daydreaming about them and wanting to spend more and more time together.
When you start to get in touch with someone, you find yourself thinking about him and her all day long, wanting to spend a little longer with him.
this first stage of love is what psychologists call infatuation, or passionate love.
The first stage of love is called "passionate love" by psychologists, or passionate love.
your new relationship can feel almost intoxicating, and when it comes to the brain, that's not far from the truth.
This new relationship will make you obsessed, and from the perspective of the brain, it is almost true.
infatuated individuals show increased activation in the ventral tegmental area.
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain is more active in people who are in love.
the vta is the reward-processing and motivation hub of the brain, firing when you do things like eat a sweet treat, quench your thirst, or in more extreme cases, take drugs of abuse.
The VTA is the center of the brain that processes rewards and incentives, and will get you excited when you're eating a dessert, having a drink, or more extremely, when you're abusing drugs.
activation releases the "feel good" neurotransmitter dopamine, teaching your brain to repeat beh**iors in anticipation of receiving the same initial reward.
The activation process releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which makes you feel "refreshed," training your brain to think that repeating these behaviors will reap the same reward.
this increased vta activity is the reason love's not only euphoric, but also draws you towards your new partner.
The more active activities of the VTA make love not only pleasurable but also make you attracted to your new partner.
at this first stage, it may be hard to see any faults in your new perfect partner.
In the first stage, it may be difficult for you to see the shortcomings of your perfect new partner.
this haze is thanks to love's influence on higher cortical brain regions.
This fog** is the effect of love on the higher cortical regions of the brain.
some newly infatuated individuals show decreased activity in the brain's cognitive center, the prefrontal cortex.
Some people who have just fallen in love have a decrease in the activity of the cognitive center of their brain, the prefrontal cortex.
as activation of this region allows us to engage in critical thought and pass judgment, it's not surprising we tend to see new relationships through rose-colored glasses.
Since the activation of this area allows us to think dialectically and make judgments, it is not surprising that we will see new feelings through the pink bubble.
while this first stage of love can be an intense rollercoaster of emotions and brain activity, it typically only lasts a few months, *way for the more long-lasting stage of love, known as attachment, or compassionate love.
Although the first stage of love may involve intense emotional ups and downs and changes in brain activity, it usually lasts only a few months before it transitions to the next stage of love, which is attachment, or "companionship love".
as your relationship develops, you may feel more relaxed and committed to your partner thanks in large part to two hormones: oxytocin and vasopressin.
As your relationship progresses, you'll be more relaxed and determined towards your partner, thanks in large part to two hormones: oxytocin and vasopressin.
known as pair-bonding hormones, they signal trust, feelings of social support, and attachment.
These two hormones come in pairs, creating a sense of trust, mutual support, and dependence.
in this way, romantic love is not unlike other forms of love, as these hormones also help bond families and friendships.
In this way, love is no different from any other form of love, as these hormones also promote the bond of family and friendship.
further, oxytocin can inhibit the release of stress hormones, which is why spending time with a loved one can feel so relaxing.
And oxytocin also inhibits the release of anxiety hormones, which is why it's so relaxing to be around someone you love.
as early love's suspension of judgment fades, it can be replaced by a more honest understanding and deeper connection.
When the initial blindness of love dissipates, it is replaced by a clearer understanding and a stronger connection.
alternatively, as your rose-colored glasses begin to lose their tint, problems in your relationship may become more evident.
In other words, when your pink bubble bursts, the problems in the relationship will gradually surface.
no matter the reason a relationship ends, we can blame the pain that accompanies heartbreak on the brain.
Whatever the reason for the end of the relationship, we can blame the brain for the pain that accompanies heartbreak.
the distress of a breakup activates the insular cortex, a region that processes pain — both physical, like spraining your ankle, as well as social, like the feelings of rejection.
The grief of a breakup activates the insular cortex, an area that processes distress signals – which can be physical, such as a broken ankle, or communicative, such as feelings of rejection.
as days pass, you may find yourself once again daydreaming about or cr**ing contact with your lost partner.
Over time, you may rekindle your thoughts on your ex or desire to reconnect with him.
the drive to reach out may feel overwhelming, like an extreme hunger or thirst.
The desire to reach out can come at you overwhelmingly, like extreme hunger or thirst.
when looking at photos of a former partner, heartbroken individuals again show increased activity in the vta, the motivation and reward center that drove feelings of longing during the initial stages of the relationship.
Looking at the ** of the ex, the VTA of the heartbroken person is active again, and the motivation and reward center ignites the desire of the early stage of the relationship.
this emotional whirlwind also likely activates your body's alarm system, the stress axis, le**ing you feeling shaken and restless.
This emotional whirlwind may also activate your body's alarm system, your stress axis, and make you feel restless.
as time goes on, higher cortical regions which oversee reasoning and impulse control, can pump the brakes on this distress and cr**ing signaling.
Over time, the higher cortical areas that control reason and impulsivity will ease the anxiety and longing.
given that these regions are still maturing and **connections through adolescence, it's no wonder that first heartbreak can feel particularly agonizing.
This part of the area develops and connects during puberty, so it's no surprise that the first heartbreak is heart-wrenching.
activities like exercise, spending time with friends, or even listening to your f**orite song can tame this heartbreak stress response, while also triggering the release of feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine.
Engaging in activities such as exercising, playing with friends, or even listening to your favorite song can ease the stress response from heartbreak and also release more of the happy neurotransmitter dopamine.
and given time and the support, most can heal and learn from even the most devastating heartbreak.
Time and the support of others can soothe heartbreak and even make a difference.
Key vocabulary phrases
Key words: 1 dopamine ['d p mi n]: dopamine.
2.infatuation [ n f t e n]: infatuation.
3.oxytocin [ ks t s n]: oxytocin.
4.Vasopressin [ ve s pr s n]: antidiuretic hormone.
5.Cortex [ k rteks]: cortex.
6.Prefrontal [pri f nt l]: of the forehead.
7.attachment [ t t m nt]: attachment.
8.insular [ nsj l r]: isolated.
9.distress [d str s]: pain.
10.Neurotransmitter [nj r tr nzm t]: neurotransmitter.
Key phrases: 1rose-colored glasses.
2.pair-bonding hormones.
3.stress axis.
4.feel-good neurotransmitter: a feel-good neurotransmitter.
5.Rollercoaster of Emotions: A rollercoaster of emotions.
Small exercises
1. love's influence on higher cortical brain regions may lead to a(n) _in critical thought, as some infatuated individuals show decreased activity in the brain's cognitive center, the __cortex.
a) increase, prefrontal
b) decrease, insular
c) boost, ventral tegmental
d) surge, temporal
2. the release of "feel-good" neurotransmitter dopamine in the ventral tegmental area contributes to the euphoric feeling of love and draws individuals towards their new partner. this increased vta activity is analogous to the response triggered by activities such as eating a sweet treat or taking __
a) a nap
b) a walk
c) drugs of abuse
d) a deep breath
3. heartbroken individuals, experiencing the distress of a breakup, show increased activity in the __cortex, a region responsible for processing both physical and social pain. looking at photos of a former partner may rekindle feelings and activate the motivation and reward center, the __
a) prefrontal, hippocampus
b) insular, amygdala
c) temporal, nucleus accumbens
d) occipital, cerebellum
Answer analysis:1 a) increase, prefrontal
Analysis: The effects of love on higher areas of the cerebral cortex may lead to a decrease in critical thinking, as some individuals in love show reduced activity in the cognitive center of the brain, the prefrontal cortex.
2. c) drugs of abuse
Analysis: Activated on the ventral side to release the "feel-good" neurotransmitter dopamine, similar to the response triggered by behaviors such as eating sweets or abusing drugs.
3. b) insular, amygdala
Analysis: Heartbroken individuals exhibit increased activity in the isolium cortex, an area that deals with physiological and social pain, during breakup pain. Looking at the ex-partner's ** may rekindle feelings and show increased activity at the center of motivation and reward, the amygdala.
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