Romantic love involves a series of complex changes in the brain’s reward system that make us crave the object of our affection.
If you have experienced the evolution from having a crush to falling in love, it may seem like the transition happens naturally. But have you ever wondered how we make such a huge emotional leap? In other words, what changes take place in our brains that allow us to fall deeply in love?
And over time these feelings persist. Our neuroimaging research and that of others suggests that once you are in love—as long as the relationship remains satisfying—simply thinking about your partner not only makes you feel good but can also buffer against pain, stress and other negative feelings. These neural patterns of romantic love seem to be universal across different genders, cultures and sexual orientations. But not all types of love or desire look the same, according to Diamond and Dickenson. Romantic and platonic love, for instance, may come with unique neural signatures. And studies show the neural processes in charge of attraction and sexual desire can occur alongside and sometimes overlap with, but are largely distinct from, those that regulate romantic love.