Your brain in love?
In a fascinating new book, Dirty Minds: How Our Brain Influences Love, Sex, and Relationships, author Kay Sukel explores the neurobiology of love. I am a science fan so this was right up my alley! I reached out to her and asked, “What happens to our brain when we fall in love?”
(Don’t laugh because when you realize that the stupid things you do and say when you are head over heels in love is rooted in science, it makes you feel better!)
Kayt Sukel: For a long time, we’ve thought of love as an emotion. But it’s got more a lot more staying power than that. Love results in actual physical changes to the brain. An important part of our “reptilian brain,” or the most evolutionarily preserved part of the human brain, helps to facilitate risk and reward processing.
Romantic love makes changes to that circuitry through the increase and decrease of key neurochemicals. That’s why love can make us feel physical sensations like butterflies in the belly or sweaty palms. It’s why love feels so good and compelling. It’s also why we can be both so obsessed with our intended yet so distracted by the rest of the world. And it’s why we often make bad decisions and see our lover in those rose-colored glasses. Love is a powerful, bold and neurally altering thing.
See? Love is neurally-altering! Perhaps this will help us when we are knee-deep in love and need a little insight.
Have you ever experienced this firsthand? Do you think you have worn those rose-colored glasses before? In hindsight, what did you learn about yourself?
Tomorrow, we will continue to dig into how the brain affects sex. Stay tuned!
By Wise Diva, Misadventures in Atlanta Dating Blog
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190 comments Add your comment
lolalee
March 19th, 2012
2:49 pm
can’t do the ‘daddy’ talk. just too creepy
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
2:50 pm
Sassy – He never holds back on us so I figured, why not at least ask
So ladies, are yall making noises because it’s that good or just to stroke his ego?
Lady~
March 19th, 2012
2:50 pm
disco lol I am remaining objective sis but great post honey!
Lady~
March 19th, 2012
2:50 pm
cba great point on that man Hemy! another perfect example!
lolalee
March 19th, 2012
2:51 pm
Slim ~ a little of both, but mostly because its goooooooood
Lady~
March 19th, 2012
2:52 pm
what lolalee said
Lady~
March 19th, 2012
2:53 pm
alrighty good people! a great productive Monday! Until tomorrow ~peace!
lolalee
March 19th, 2012
2:54 pm
following Lady out the door… gotta do some WORK now.
Exiled!
March 19th, 2012
2:56 pm
@lolalee,so ur decibels go up a notch?
wld u be able to hold it if say mom in law and dad were in the bedroom across from urs or u one of those that insist,’nah! U can’t put up here,get a room’
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
3:01 pm
Ladies, how do you feel about the men being vocal? Ever had a dude that totally caught you off guard to how his “Dismantle” is when he gets to the top of the mountain? LOLOLOL (holler out, shake uncontrollably, make weird noises, collapses with no muscle control etc)
disco
March 19th, 2012
3:08 pm
slim – been there and it is all I can do not to bust out laughing.
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
3:12 pm
yall making noises because it’s that good or just to stroke his ego?
cosign with lola n Lady…
how do you feel about the men being vocal?
I got skillz so that’s going to be a given…yeah I said it…WHAT?!?!
(holler out, shake uncontrollably, make weird noises, collapses with no muscle control etc)
If it’s all theatric n extra then yeah I might chuckle to myself..don’t want to bruise any egos cause them things are muy fragile…
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
3:14 pm
muy fragile HOLLERS
That’s when you put your face over their shoulder and bite your tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
Exiled!
March 19th, 2012
3:15 pm
Slim..when I was 14/15 my younger brother and I overhead our parents going at it..
My dad is a Big fella but it was surprising hearing daddy do the vocals so loudly. No vocals from mum..
It is in keeping with his character tho coz he is a blabbermouth…but daamn man.
A brother got show some level headedness!
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
3:19 pm
That’s when you put your face over their shoulder and bite your tongue to keep from laughing out loud.
And we’re not even gonna talk about the faces they make…
disco
March 19th, 2012
3:20 pm
sassy – you made me think of old girl in sprung with joe torry. “I said adina”
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
3:28 pm
My, where has the time gone ?….
disco
March 19th, 2012
3:33 pm
forget the time… where have the people gone?
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
3:36 pm
Shyyd disco who knows…it gets like that here sometimes
disco
March 19th, 2012
3:49 pm
well in that case – a long afternoon is about to get even longer. sucks to be me.
i'm swiss
March 19th, 2012
3:54 pm
Alright, MIA peeps… It’s 80 degrees outside. Time for a fresh Texas Margarita to enjoy while I grill up some meat!
Party rockers in the houuuuuuuuuuuuuuse toniiiiiiiiiight
Everybody just have a good tiiiiiiiiime
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
3:55 pm
I’ve got a paper to read soooo…
Have fun Swiss!!
disco
March 19th, 2012
3:58 pm
sassy – paper or no paper, you are bored too.
swiss – hope you have enough meat and margaritas for everyone (head counts only 3 since everyone else jumped ship)
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
4:02 pm
I went for a short walk outside and came back in feeling like my mouth is dirty. Too much dayum pollen out there for me. I just hope this last hour goes by faster than the last 3 did.
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
4:08 pm
Yes I am disco but this is short lived…I’ll be in the lab doing double duty for quite a while so I’m going to take this day as slowly as it’s coming..almost time to go anyway.
I feel like doing something I shouldn’t just for the heck of it.
i'm swiss
March 19th, 2012
4:14 pm
disco — I don’t know about the margaritas, but I’ve always got enough meat to go around…
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
4:16 pm
swiss – And Mrs swiss has a stingy but large appetite that I’m sure she isn’t into sharing. lol Margaritas do sound nice right about now though
disco
March 19th, 2012
4:18 pm
slim – guess swiss was in kindergarten the day they discussed sharing. margaritas sound okay but a plate sounds better.
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
4:28 pm
disco – Well, I suppose it isn’t really good to drink on an empty stomach, so pass me a weenie
Hmmmm.....
March 19th, 2012
4:31 pm
Did I read the word “prolly” or did someone mean probably? Please tell me that was a man posing as a woman. Please?
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
4:31 pm
so pass me a weenie
I don’t know why I burst into laughter EVERYtime you post that word Slim…
weenie…weenie..weenie
disco
March 19th, 2012
4:33 pm
a weenie? child I said a plate. complete with a hunk of meat, a piece of bread, some baked beans, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and a deviled egg.
SlimUno
March 19th, 2012
4:39 pm
disco – Chile you making me HUNGRY.
sassy –
disco
March 19th, 2012
4:44 pm
I’m not even hungry but if I had a plate you still wouldn’t be able to tell me nothing. I’d wrap my plate in aluminum foil and just wait patiently until I got hungry.
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
4:50 pm
I’d wrap my plate in aluminum foil
You know we wiiiill fix a plate if we don’t do anything else.
What is it about us and fixin plates anyway?…y’all know what I mean so don’t act..
Sassy Me..Juicy Fruit ;-)
March 19th, 2012
4:51 pm
Alright y’all I’m out…Mr Bermuda’s not feeling well and I’m going on nurse duty (leave it alone Swiss
). Read y’all tomorrow.
i'm swiss
March 19th, 2012
4:51 pm
No weenies on the grill (only raw). I do have NY strip w/ my special home made chimichurri, and grilled zucchini, carrots & corn. Mmmmm mmm. Oh, and for an appetizer: My good friend Jack Daniels (margaritas were too much work for just me — those can wait for when the Mrs gets home).
Leggs
March 19th, 2012
4:52 pm
I’d add this for you Ex. A man making a woman scream is an added measure assuring the both of them. He hit “the” spot and she wants him to know and she liked the fact that he hit “the” spot.
Leggs
March 19th, 2012
4:57 pm
Or, it just hurts…
Celisea
March 19th, 2012
5:43 pm
It was empty in here today. Don’t look like I missed too much