Scientific Love

Love is a complicated feeling that not many can even describe. Some say it is the butterflies on your stomach while others describe it as a warmth in the heart. The only thing for sure is that is a complex concept, not even the most knowledgeable can clearly identify. Still, I believe that science can give us a clearer view of what is really happening in our bodies when we describe love.

Science describes love as a neurological process that occurs in the brain; it uses the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and frontal tegmental area of our brains. In other words, it is a neurobiological reaction in the brain caused by a combination of hormones, the feeling of reward, and neurotransmitters. Such as adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and vasopressin that are essential when trying to understand why we fall in love. Studies show that the first time we fall in love, serotonin levels plummet and reward centers or places located in our brain are flooded with dopamine. This is an effect very similar to that of a drug. It can be concluded that love is not an emotion, but an impulse, a physiological need for the human being.

The meaning of love is biological for survival. Humans are rational animals that even with their rational thinking have their animal instincts. Biologically, there are two kinds of love that can be divided into different types: couple love and filial or parental love, which is essential for the conservation of our species, since the duration of human childhood is so long, a bond must be created. Between parents and children to ensure the upbringing and care of the child. In our brain, there is a limbic system that allows us to experience emotions. Parental and couple love activate similar regions, but couple relationships are related to sexual desire like the hypothalamus.

In Conclusion, Love consists of a combination of three fundamental elements: intimacy, passion, and commitment. The combination of these three does not always happen at the same time, sometimes it can only be one or maybe two. These combinations form the different stages or types of love: desire, attraction, and affection. These emotions are a neurological process of our brain that is clearly related to the animal nature of human beings and their evolution.