Research Paper = Roshni Vinod

8/20/2019 Research Paper = Roshni Vinod

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH PAPER

TOPIC: The Brain high on Love: Biological, Phyiological an! Philoo"hical e##ec$ o#

love on $he h%&an &in!'

S%(&i$$e! By

Rohni )ino! *++

Cla: TYC


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The Brain high on Love: Biological, Phyiological an! Philoo"hical e##ec$ o# love on

$he h%&an &in!'

ABSTRACT

The concept of love has been an eternally mysterious subject. It is a definition and meaning

that philosophers, psychologists, and biologists have been looking for since the beginning of

time. Wars have been waged and fought for and over this ‘Love, while friendships have been

initiated and have ended because of this idea. !ut what e"actly is love, and why is it

important to define this enigma#

In order to help define this idea of love, several books and numerous research articles were

consultd to help understand the role of neurobiology and the importance of neurotransmitters

and brain activity in the process of falling in love. $esearch has concluded that the disciplines

of biology, psychology, and philosophy are all important in analysing love. With the divorce

rates increasing, and the idea of marriage changing in todays society, the importance of

studying the concept of love cannot be overlooked. It is in this research that we will be able

to understand o"ytocin, love, and its importance to the survival of the human race.

I-TROD.CTIO-

The concept of love has been studied throughout history. %hilosophers have been asking

&uestions such as 'What is love#( and 'Why do we love#( since the beginning of time.

Today, these &uestions are still being asked, perhaps in a more desperate way. When kids are

young, they are often read fairy tales about %rince )harming coming to the rescue of the

beautiful damsel in distress who turns out to be a princess. Then the two of them ride off into

the sunset to live the seemingly 'happily ever after( life. *owever, the 'happily ever after( is

never fully described. +o the princes and the princesses get married, have children, and grow

old together# r do they in fact get married, have children, fall out of 'love( and end up

divorced within a few years# +o they stay happily and passionately in love, or do they stay

together only out of the fear of loneliness and dependency# While the rates do seem to be

levelling out, the trend remains that a high number of marriages these days do ultimately end

in divorce. The &uestion then becomes not only 'What is love#(, but also 'Why are only

‘some people able to stay together, while other relationships fall apart#( In order to answer

these &uestions, the theory of love must be e"amined from different perspectives.


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Is it possible that love is just a biological or neurological response to a pleasant signal that the

brain picks up from the person in front# +o people stay together because their brains have

been conditioned and trained by the society and their ancestors to respond to the hormones

released# r could it possibly be a psychological need and desire to stay together- a natural

feeling of wanting, desire, comfort etc.# %erhaps, couples stay married because they simply

become 'used to( each other and run away from accepting to start afresh- afraid of not being

able to adapt to the change and the uncertainty. inally, it could also be the 'essence( of love-

the whole ‘/ills and !oons idea of being in a forever kind of heart0warming love that makes

people want to try to work at staying together#

RE)IE/ O0 LITERAT.RE

'Looking into a lovers eyes is like looking into a fire1Thanks to a shot of adrenaline, your

palms sweat, your breathing gets shallow, your skin feels hot, and your pupils dilate. The

amygdala, the centre of the brain that processes emotion, starts to bla2e with activity. 3t the

same time the brain produces dopamine, a ‘feel good neurotransmitter that is associated with

passion and addiction, and o"ytocin, a hormone related to bonding.( 4%incott, 56678. With all

these processes occurring at once, its not a surprise to learn that ones pupils actually dilate

while focusing on an object of desire.

'3drenaline, also known as epinephrine, which is both a neurotransmitter and hormone, is

released from the adrenal medulla during the 'fight or flight response.( 49herwood, :;;8.

This response, activated by the bodys sympathetic nervous system, prepares the body for the

decision to either fight the stressor, or 'flight(, to run away from the attack. +uring this

reaction, the persons heart rate increases, the pupils dilate, the sweat glands are stimulated,

and the brain becomes increasingly more alert.

'Womens tendency to marry men who resemble +ad, if dad is loving, adds to the increasing

evidence that women lean toward the familiar and the positive for long0term relationships.

We may be modelling our marriage on /oms, or unconsciously deciding that since +ad is a

good parent, than a man who looks like him will be too.( 4%incott, 5:8. This idea may be

disturbing for some people- however %incott also concludes that the attraction is limited to

general resemblances.


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METHODOLOGY

This paper will e"amine the biological, psychological and philosophical angles of love. or

the purpose of this research, the couples and partners chosen are heterose"uals- however,

homose"ual love is e&ually valued. The word 'marriage( will refer to the union of a man and

a woman, and the study of divorce will include couples comprised of a man and a woman.

$esearch for this paper includes articles and e"cerpts from several books, scholarly articles

from science


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early stages. The sweating, the dilated pupils, the increased heart rate, are e"actly how people

describe the feeling and energy of being 'in love(.

In addition to epinephrine, there are several other chemical responses released when a person

e"periences 'love at first sight.( =ndorphins, o"ytocin, dopamine, and vasopressin are also

important to e"amine when looking at the brains response to love. =ndorphins, the 'feel

good chemicals( act both as an analgesic and as a sedative. =ndorphins are released during

e"ercise, which is what many avid runners describe as a 'runners high(. =ventually, the

runners body begins to crave the release of endorphins, which is why many e"ercise

enthusiasts report the 'need( to e"ercise. =ndorphins are also released during se"ual

intercourse. inally, endorphins are released through touch, which is why a mothers touch

can soothe a crying infant. '=ndorphins, for instance, can create the sensation of euphoria and

relief from pain.( 49elhub, >>8. It is that compelling euphoric feeling that couples describe

when they say they have 'fallen in love.(

"ytocin, also known as the 'cuddle chemical(, plays an important role in romantic love, as a

hormone that encourages cuddling between lovers and increases pleasure during

lovemaking1The hormone stimulates the smooth muscles and sensiti2es the nerves.(

43ckerman, :?>8. "ytocin is also linked to the feeling of 'closeness( that one e"periences

after intercourse, which may e"plain why women are statistically more likely to 'fall( in love

with a man that they may know they have no future with, yet they mistakenly associate the

feeling they e"perience after the release of o"ytocin with love. This is why one may become

'attached( to a partner that is absolutely not a good match.

*ormones are also e"tremely important in the feeling of addiction, dopamine especially.

%erhaps it is this feeling of 'addiction( that keeps couples together. +opamine plays an

essential role in attraction. Interestingly, a decrease in dopamine has been associated with

both %arkinsons disease and depression, whereas an increase in dopamine is associated with

schi2ophrenia and mania. )onsidering the contrast in medical conditions that can be

associated with it can be concluded that the release or lack thereof, dopamine in a persons

brain can be affiliated with how they act when they are either in love, or conversely, suffering

from the loss of a love. Indeed, when one first 'falls in love( their actions can become erratic.

They want to spend every waking moment with the object of their affection- they pine for

their presence when they are apart. nce one has e"perienced heartbreak, it can often be

difficult to just get out of bed to face each day.


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This contrast can easily be e"plained when one e"amines dopamines other role in the brain,

which is that of addiction. In the 3ugust, 56:6 issue of the *arvard /ental *ealth Letter,

researchers found that '3ll addictive substances release the neurotransmitter dopamine in the

brain. Initially researchers thought that dopamine acted as a signal that prompted people to

continue seeking the substance.( In this way, combining biology with psychology for the

moment, one can conclude that being with a partner whose actions are associated with the

release of dopamine in ones brain, can actually lead to a physical 'addiction( to the person.

In addition to the brains response to the neurotransmitters and other 'love( chemicals being

released, there is also another very important aspect of chemistry that is responsible for the

feeling of attraction. %heromones are chemical signals that are released by the body that can

serve to attract or repel potential mates. or years, researchers have been aware of the

presence of a vomeronasal organ in mammals, however 'only recently have scientist

discovered real evidence of a @A in human adults.( 4%incott, 5;8. Bnowing that

pheromones do e"ist, and their purpose, one can also conclude that people fall in love with

the 'scent( of a person. There is a very distinct scent that each body gives off, however it is

not necessarily consciously noted. f course, as the human race has evolved, so have our

grooming habits. %eople now bathe fre&uently, use scented soaps, buy perfume or cologne, all

in the hopes to make themselves more attractive to their potential mates. *owever, it isinteresting to note that, while one may drench themselves with all of the cologne in the world,

if a potential mate isnt attracted to the persons pheromones, there isnt much chance of love.

Interestingly, ones immune system plays a very important role in pheromones and their role

in attraction. The immune system is in place to protect the body from illness, to fight against

foreign particle invaders, to help heal cuts. *owever, it does so much more than just those

key actions. '$esearchers believe that one major source of human pheromones is the immune

system. Whether youre attracted to or repulsed by a mans body odour may depend strongly

on your respective immune systems.( 4%incott, 5C8.

While neurotransmitters do play an enormous part in the brains role in falling in love, there

are structures of the brain itself that change when a person is in love. 3 study done by *elen

isher, Lucy !rown and 3rthur 3ron demonstrated this change. In this study, couples who

described themselves as 'intensely in love( were recruited, and while they were looking at a

picture of their beloved, their brains were scanned by an /$I. 'The researchers saw a glow

in several regions of the lovers brains, representing blood flow. 3mong them were three


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important clusters of brain cells related to motivation and reward( 4%incott, 5;>8. These parts

of the brain are known as the reward centers. When these areas are activated, the person

'feels good(, which is due to the fact that dopamine is being released !eing in love causes

dopamine to be released and makes one feel good, which then causes the person to spend

more time with their mate. The more time couples spend together in the early stages of the

relationship, the more the neurotransmitters are subse&uently released. This is an ever0

repeating cycle, which leads to an 'addiction(.

Pychology: The hy$eria o# (eing in Love

In the beginning, the most important part is biology, then, as love matures, psychology

becomes the most important.

While the biological components of love have been demonstrated as being e"tremely

important, one must e"amine the psychology of love in order to get a full picture of this

important human e"perience. ne cannot discuss the psychology of love without discussing

one of psychologys forefathers, 9igmund reud. reud 4/ay ? :;D? E9eptember 5> :C>C8

was an 3ustrian neurologist, and is considered the father of psychoanalysis. reud had a great

deal of theories for pretty much everything conceivable, from dreams and their meanings, to

love and hysteria. '*is many contributions to knowledge include his studies of thedevelopment of the se"ual instinct in children, his descriptions of the workings of the

unconscious mind and of the nature of repression, and his e"aminations and interpretations of

dreams.( 4+rabble F 9tringer, 566>8. *e was also an advocate for the use of cocaine, and

even wrote a paper on the benefits of using the drug. reud believed that love and se"uality

were e"tremely intertwined, and beginning at a very young age, one e"periences these

feelings, although they are often misguided.

reud believed in and coined the phrases 'edipus comple"( and '=lectra comple"(. In

reuds scientific opinion, young boys are se"ually attracted to their mothers, and want to kill

their fathers in order to have their mothers all to themselves. Aot to be outdone, young girls

desire their fathers, and want to eliminate their mothers, in order to be with their fathers. This

idea brought forth a great deal of controversy for reud, as it is often disturbing to think of

children as se"ual creatures, and societys view of incest is that it is absolutely unnatural.

Taking the information we know from reud, we can then conclude that we, as adults, are

constantly searching for that partner that reminds us of our mother or father.


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Aow that the relationship between childhood associations of love, and how we pick a mate is

understood, one can e"amine, from a reudian perspective, how this love transfers to adult

behaviour. In order to further e"amine this theory, we must create a hypothetical situation.

Imagine a couple, having been together for several years, having yet another silly fight over

whos turn it is to take out the garbage. If this couple has not learned how to communicate

effectively, there might be name calling, temper tantrums thrown, or the fight could escalate

to encompass issues that have nothing to do with taking out the garbage. What would cause a

pair of grown adults to act in such a childish way# 'reud concludes that when lovers act

irrationally what theyre really doing is regressing to the needs, insecurities, and obsessions

of childhood.( 43ckerman, :>78.

3nother important psychologist involved in the psychology of love was 3braham /aslow.

/aslow 4:C6;0:CG68 was considered the father of humanistic psychology. *umanistic theory

is one that focuses on 'human potential and free will to choose life patterns that are

supportive of personal growth. *umanistic frameworks emphasi2e a persons capacity for

self0actuali2ation.( 4@arcarolis, >;8. his theory includes the idea that 'humans are active

rather than passive participants in life, striving for self0actuali2ation.( 4@arcarolis, >;8.

/aslows hierarchy is pyramid shaped, with the most fundamental needs at the bottom, and

the 'more distinctly human needs( placed on the top. The categories, from bottom to top,include physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem, self0

actuali2ation, and self0transcendence. %hysiological needs include food, water, and rest.

9afety needs include security, protection, stability, and structure. Love and belonging needs

include affectionate relationships and adoration. =steem includes both self0esteem, and

esteem from others. 9elf0actuali2ation is defined as 'becoming everything one is capable of.(

4@arcarolis, >C8.

When one views the hierarchy, it is not difficult to understand how his theory is so crucial to

the idea of love. When ones physiological needs are covered, the ne"t step is safety

re&uirements. While this does include physical safety, it also includes stability, structure, and

order. This is one reason that many couples do not want to divorce, mainly because this very

idea will shake them and the society to the core. *ow often do women say 'Id love to leave

him, but I have to take care of the children.( r, if the woman did not achieve ade&uate

education and has no work e"perience, she may feel stuck in the relationship, as she cannot

provide stability and security for herself.


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n a brighter note, the security from being in a couple can reinforce the feeling of love,

because it protects one from desolation and loneliness. There are so many articles that are

published on how to survive being single. 9ince the security from being in a couple is there,

those in love do not have to worry about how society will view them.

)ommercials absolutely prey on this feeling of love. or e"ample, there is a certain jewellery

brand that has commercial, which airs during each holiday season. In this commercial, a

woman is sitting in a rocking chair with her child. The husband comes up to her with a bo" in

his hand, containing jewellery of some sort. The ne"t shot is that of the woman accepting the

jewellery, and ga2ing at her husband with love, while he looks at her in adoration.

%sychologically speaking, this commercial plays perfectly into /aslows hierarchy of needs.

The womans physiological needs are being met 4she is resting comfortably with her infant8,

she is feeling safe and secure, and her love and belonging needs are being met. 9he feels the

love from her husband, and both her husband and her infant give her a sense of belonging in

the family. This is just one e"ample of /aslows hierarchy being portrayed in the media.

=very human being wants to be loved. The feeling that one e"periences, especially when they

know that they are loved, is indescribable. This is why love is a significant component in

/aslows hierarchy. '%eople have a need for intimate relationships, love, affection, and

belonging and will seek to overcome feelings of aloneness and alienation. /aslow stresses

the importance of having a family and a home and being part of identifiable groups.(

4@arcarolis, >C8. It is this idea, this need for love that keeps us searching for, and then staying

with, our partners.

eeling alone can be one of the supremely devastating feelings in the world. ftentimes, for

couples who have been together for years, when one spouse dies, the remaining spouse often

joins them in death. This may be because both partners were old, however, it can also be

attributed to the feeling that one just cannot live without their love. Its almost a beautiful

thing to think about, to love someone so strongly that you just cannot imagine ones e"istence

or life without them. 9hakespeare also touched on this subject when he wrote the play $omeo

and


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my everlasting rest1 true apothecaryH Thy drugs are &uick. Thus, with a kiss I die(. pon

waking from her slumber,


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city itself, whose affairs all men knew and played a role in1nce legitimate heirs were born

to a man, things loosened up slightly for the wives, who could then divorce to get out of a

particularly nasty marriage.( 43ckerman, 5>8. While there were, un&uestionably, e"tramarital

affairs, they were more well0known and accepted in that society. There is a similarity in one

aspect, however. 'Its not that 3thenian women didnt sometimes have premarital or

e"tramarital affairs, but those who did were thought shocking and immoral.( 43ckerman, 5>8.

This idea is still true in todays society, mens affairs are almost accepted, and at the very

least, they arent seen to be as much of a scandal of that of womens affairs. With the

knowledge of e"tramarital affairs and divorce, one may wonder if the ancient Jreeks

believed in love. In fact, the belief that society holds today, that there is one person out there

for everyone, a 'soul mate(, actually originated with %lato. %lato 475CE>7G !.).=.8 discussed

the idea of the soul being separate from the body. 'We must recogni2e that the soul is a

different sort of object from the body K so much so that it does not depend on the e"istence

of the body for its functioning,( 4Braut, 566C8.

%latos idea, that there is someone out there for everyone, is what keeps everyone searching

for adoration and love. We, as a society, are taught, from the very beginning, that love is real,

our soul mates are out there, and, ultimately, we will find the one who makes us complete and

whole. %erhaps couples stay together because of %latos idea of 'soul mates(. When couples

get married, those who are religious feel that they have found their soul mates, and they make

a promise to Jod to make the marriage work and flourish with the ‘%heras, ‘@ows and

million promises. In getting a divorce, the couple not only has to admit defeat to themselves,

but also break a promise to Jod that they make. They have to admit that the person they

married may not be their 'soul mate(, and that can be terrifying, because they need to go

back out into the world of searching for that one right person to spend their life with. 9ome of

them may have the faith that they will find their love, others may meet and fall in love with

someone else who may not be right for them.

3ll of this work is done in search of a 'soul mate(. 3 more modern philosopher, /ichael

!oylan, discusses his idea of love in his book The Jood, The True and The !eautiful. *e

states that love is an action, and the concept leads us to change and grow as human beings.

ne can conclude, then, that the essence of love is not only to find your soul mate, but it also

allows one to be 'good(. 3nother philosopher, $obert $owland 9mith, in his book !reakfast

with 9ocrates concludes that '3ccording to biblical tradition love can, in turn, be subdivided


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into friendship 4philia8 and spiritual or emotional love 4agape8, which complicates the

relationship with se", or eros, a bit further.(. This theory, a complication of love and se", is

one that has been discussed for generations. *arlan =llison once concluded that 'Love aint

nothing but se" misspelled.( While this &uote is often laughed off, there is some truth to the

saying. Love and se" are absolutely entangled- however it is possible to have one without the

other.


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IMPLICATIO-S A-D CO-CL.SIO-

This paper is used to read deeper into the argument of whether it is the heart that falls in love

or the brain. $esearchers have found that falling in love only takes about a fifth of a second.

$eading, &uestioning and interviews have helped draw the conclusion that both the brain and

the heart are major players in painting rosy pictures of love. or instance, activation in some

parts of the brain can generate stimulations to the heart, butterflies in the stomach. 9ome

symptoms we sometimes feel as a manifestation of the heart may sometimes be coming from

the brain. The findings have major implications for neuroscience and mental health research

because when love doesnt work out, it can be a significant cause of emotional stress and

depression. !y identifying the parts of the brain stimulated by love, doctors and therapists can

better understand the pains of love0sick patients. $esearch shows that different parts of the

brain fall for love. or e"ample, unconditional love, such as that between a mother and a

child, is sparked by the common and different brain areas, including the middle of the brain.

%assionate love is sparked by the reward part of the brain, and also associative cognitive brain

areas that have higher0order cognitive functions, such as body image.

)ouples are now able to feel freer to visit a therapist in order to work through their

difficulties, and in this way, they are able to potentially save some marriages that would have

ended in divorce. Love and successful marriages are due to a combination of biology,

psychology and philosophical aspects. *umans must have absolute belief in love and

marriage, and that it is important to work together and change with the relationship in order

to make it successful. Life is too short to be terribly miserable. !iology, %sychology,

%hilosophyM Who wins# 3fter researching all three areas of love, it is difficult to say which of

them is the most important when it comes to love, marriage, and success in a relationship.

!iological factors, such as the release of the hormones and neurotransmitters, are absolutely

important in falling in love, and staying in love. %heromones are also e"tremely important in

finding the best mate. %sychological aspects, such as reuds ideas of the way one picks their

mate based on their relationship with their parents, and also their regression into irrational

behaviour when in love, is also e&ually important. The fact that /aslow has both the ideas of

'safety and security( and 'love and belonging( in his hierarchy is important, because it

allows one to recogni2e that love isnt just a random concept, it is necessary for good mental

health. inally, %latos discussion of the idea of a 'soul mate( is crucial to todays idea of

love.


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RE0ERE-CES

3ckerman, +. 4:CC78. 3 natural history of love. Aew Oork, AOM $andom *ouse, Inc.

+rabble, /., 9tringer,

Documents

Research Paper = Roshni Vinod