Love is a complex thing, and we don’t know much about it yet. What determines whether we fall and stay in love with someone? And how does our body react to all these hormones? We ask our HLN science expert Martijn Peters.
“It is the hypothalamus in our brain that plays the leading role,” says Martijn. “For example, this brain region regulates three different aspects of love. For example, there is ‘lust’ that is responsible for our libido and ‘attraction’ that activates the reward system in our brain. Together, both phenomena are also guilty of blocking the prefrontal cortex, which in turn controls our rational behavior, critical thinking and self-awareness.” So love does indeed make us dumber.
The third element is ‘bonding’, which plays an important role in long-term relationships. “The hormones released by our hypothalamus provide a sense of security.” These three phases can occur together, separately and in different orders. Perhaps you too first experienced attachment long before you fell in love with your partner?
Scientists discovered that the attraction between two dates increases when synchronization takes place on a physiological level.
Love and heartbeat
Research shows that in a romantic relationship we are not just attracted to the other person; we also adapt physiologically to the other. “So have researchers 32 digits put in a quiet room a few meters apart,” says our expert. “What did the measuring equipment reveal? Even though there was no interaction, the couples’ heartbeats subconsciously synchronized with each other and the couples started breathing in and out at the same intervals.” Although the women did adapt more than their partners. Another study shows that holding your wife’s or girlfriend’s hand helps reduce her pain and synchronizes heart rate and breathing during the touch. Handy during childbirth!
But even if you’re not that far yet, your heart rate can already start to adjust during a date. “Scientists found that the attraction between two dates increases when synchronization occurs at this deeper level.” Although you can of course just follow your gut on a date.
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