Neuroscientists divide love into three phases: lust, attraction, and attachment. But why men always behave extremely crazy in love?
During the lust phase, hormones fill the body with a sense of intense desire. Adrenaline and norepinephrine cause palpitations and increased sweating, while dopamine in the brain induces feelings of euphoria. The brain releases dopamine in response to pleasant stimuli, including drugs.
During the period of attraction, the brain is actively supplied with blood, or instead of its separate center – the center of pleasure. MRI scans of people in love usually show a surge in blood flow during the attraction phase, when partners become obsessed with each other. But even before people fall in love, having an attractive face activates the same part of the brain as pain relievers like morphine.
This part of the brain is involved in feelings of sympathy. The study found that men who were given small doses of morphine found photographs of women’s faces more attractive than men who did not receive the drug. In addition, the very feeling of love lowers the level of serotonin in the brain, a common symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
This is why lovers are always blind to their partner’s unwanted traits in the early stages of a relationship. All this – to the saying “love is evil …”. It all ends with people becoming addicted to all these chemicals that bring so much joy and pleasure.
When the attachment phase begins, the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin enter the brain and create a sense of well-being and security.
