What is Love? The Scientific Definition of Romance

By James Morales, | February 14, 2017

Love is said to be akin to cocaine addiction, or a temporary delusion of the brain.

Love is said to be akin to cocaine addiction, or a temporary delusion of the brain.

Love has countless definitions. From a scientific point of view, being in love is similar to cocaine addiction. Some psychologists even consider love as "temporary insanity."

According to Robert Burton's lifework entitled "The Anatomy of Melancholy," the mind of lovers are almost infinite, and no art can comprehend how it works. Burton humorously describes love as "a plague, a torture, a hell, a bitter-sweet passion at last..."

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As mentioned, love is psychologically considered as "temporary insanity" as a result of complex reactions of different hormones in the body and neurobiological processes. The symptoms of being in love could include sleeping difficulty, loss of appetite, and increased focus and motivation - similar to the effects of cocaine.

In studies about love that included brain-imaging, it was found that being in love results in an increase in the production of dopamine in the system in the ventral tegmental area. This is what also happens in the brains of drug addictions. But the difference is simple - cocaine lingers for a few hours, but love could last for weeks, months or even years.

For infatuation or attraction, the symptoms may subside in a short period. But for committed individuals, the brain region has rich oxytocin and vasopressin receptors - chemicals responsible for attachment and long-term commitment. However, love is not exclusive to humans, as the same chemical reactions are also found on animals.

Another side effect of love is a reduction of cognitive control. People in love tend to lose focus of other important things that requires attention. It is considered as "temporary state of delusion." Love is said to trap a person is a psychosis transcending time and space. 

In the science of love, there are still no curative treatments for lovesickness or loneliness related to frustrations of love. Unlike cocaine addiction that can be resolved through a series of medically-backed methods and processes. 

 

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