When it comes to matters of the heart a lot of lines get blurred. Love is one of the most complex states of being in existence. Love is bliss, love is painful, love is sweet, and love can be dreadful.
True love can be overwhelming. Your life can depend on it. It’s not for anything that the saying goes ‘Love makes the world go round’.
Contrary to popular belief the feeling of love doesn’t occur in our hearts but in our brains when we release hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine and vasopressin.
Yes, there’s a science to love and we’re going to give you 8 scientifically proven facts that will make you jaw drop.
Check them out below:
It only takes up to 4 minutes to decide whether you like someone or not
It takes barely 5 minutes to decide if we are interested in someone. This rarely has anything to do with their smooth-talking or courting skills. As far as attraction goes, 55% is through body language, 38% is the tone and speed of our voice and 7% is through what we say. A New York psychologist named Arthur Arun succeeded in making two complete strangers fall in love in a lab, in just under 95 minutes!
The study involved a combination of four minutes of staring into each other’s eyes, and 90 minutes of intimate conversation using pre-determined questions. The participants ended up getting married.
Love is like a narcotic drug!
Science has proven falling In love has neurological effects similar to those of cocaine. Researchers from Syracuse University revealed in a study, called “The Neuroimaging of Love” that they found several euphoria-inducing chemicals, such as vasopression, adrenaline, oxytocin and dopamine being released in 12 areas of the brain that work simultaneously. This reaction was similar to subjects found to be avid users of cocaine.
Humans are not the only creatures that fall in love
Yes, monogamous relationships exist throughout the Animal Kingdom. Penguins, wolves, gibbons, swans, albatrosses, black vultures and even termites are just a few of those animals that find lifetime mates. These animals have been shown to even express heartbreak and depression at the loss of their mates.
Couples who are similar are not likely to last
Magnetism rules say like poles repel and opposites attract. The same applies to love matters. Columbia University rearchers conducted three years of psychological profiles on 732 adult men and women who were questioned on their relationships, levels of intimacy, overall satisfaction and closeness to their partner. When asked about how often they thought of breaking up, it was noted that most of them thought of breaking up very often and felt they were too close to each other for comfort.
Romantic love grows to become committed love
Couples at the very beginning of a romantic relationship will be very different a year later. It is estimated that romantic love, which is linked with euphoria, dependence, sweaty palms, butterflies and alike, only lasts about a year. After that first year begins the so-called “committed love” stage. The transition is linked with elevated neurotrophin protein levels in newly formed couples.
Butterflies in the stomach are real
And they’re caused by adrenaline, which floods your body during flight-or-fight response situations.
Dilated Pupils Show Your Attraction To Someone
In the 1870s, naturalist Charles Darwin proposed that pupils expand during heightened attention and focus. This is indeed true. It occurs when gazing at an object of desire or beloved one, even if it‘s only a picture or a video.
Love is all that matters
A 75 year study conducted by a group of Harvard researchers, showed that love is really all that matters. At least to the male sex. The participants’ (all males) shared their lifelong experiences which revealed that happiness and life fulfillment revolved around love or simply searching for love. You can read more on the Harvard Grant Study here.
Photo Credit: Pichastock/Bowii Photos
