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Falling in love is a natural process that is so beautiful but quite complex. If you notice, people in love can act weird and silly, sometimes even doing things that are beyond common sense.
Love is so amazing. However, that does not mean that love is a mystery that cannot be explained at all. As it turns out, experts have succeeded in defining five important stages in the process of falling in love based on the changes that occur in your body. Are you curious about what happens to your body when you are in love? Immediately consider the stages of falling in love according to the following science.
1. Lured
Before you fall in love with someone, you will certainly feel great attraction at the beginning of meeting or talking. There are many things that can make a person appear attractive to you, such as appearance, voice, manner of speech, body language, age, or similar traits and backgrounds.
In this first stage, things that make themselves attractive activate a part of your brain called the opioid receptor. This brain reaction is similar to the reaction that occurs when the body receives the pain reliever drug, morphine. The opioids are responsible for controlling feelings of liking or disliking things.
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A study in a journal Molecular Psychiatry 2014 revealed that study participants who were given morphine were more likely to feel attracted to other people than those who were not given morphine. This means that brain activity plays a very important role in the process of falling in love.
2. Kasmaran
Once you feel attracted to someone, you will naturally want to know more about them and want to be around them. This is the second stage of falling in love, known as the love phase. This stage of falling in love is marked by the emergence of euphoria or feelings of overly excited and enthusiastic. The body will trigger the production of the hormones dopamine, adrenaline and norepinephrine.
However, the feeling of happiness that arose was also accompanied by tension. This is because the hormone adrenaline is one of the hormones produced when you are stressed. So do not be surprised if when you and the him are on their first date, you feel tense and nervous to death. Some people have different reactions to this tension. Some people become sweaty, restless, nauseous, have stomach aches, and even itches. Usually, your heart will beat faster when you are with the person you like.
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The hormone norepinephrine, which is a stimulant, will also make it difficult for you to sleep. Also, when you are with the person you like, you suddenly become more concerned about everything about them. Starting from the way he smiles, laughs, or facial expressions. This is because these hormones make you more alert, just like the effects you experience after consuming a caffeinated beverage.
3. The world revolves around you
When you try to get to know him and find out more about him, you will enter the third stage of falling in love. In this stage, blood circulation to the part of the brain called the nucleus akumben increases to be heavier.
The acumben nucleus is the part of the brain that controls pleasure and reward (reward). So, when you are with someone you like or think about themselves, the brain will read it as a form of enjoyment and reward for yourself.
This is similar to the brain's reaction to opium. Because the brain has received information about your lover as satisfying, it will continue to tell you to fulfill your need for him. This is what makes you always crave his figure and never get bored with him at the beginning of your fall in love. Your life also revolves around your lover. No matter what you are doing or thinking about, a person is sure to come to mind. You also become willing to do anything to please him, even things that are silly or difficult.
4. Love is blind
Being in love reduces the levels of certain substances in the brain such as serotonin, especially in men. This condition is widely observed in people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The reason is, low serotonin levels are the reason why you feel so obsessed with your partner.
This feeling also causes you to ignore your partner's negative qualities and only want to look at their positive qualities. This is why many people say that love is blind. In some cases, low serotonin levels coupled with an increase in the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine can increase sexual arousal.
5. Commit to one another
Over time your body will begin to get used to the various changes that occur in hormones, brain, and other bodily functions when you fall in love. Because of that, you also start to feel more comfortable, no longer nervous, sweating or stomach ache when you are with him. This is the final stage of falling in love, which is building commitment and bonding together.
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Two hormones that play an important role in this stage are oxytocin and vasopressin. They are also often referred to as the love hormone. The increase in oxytocin and vasopressin in the body will make you feel at ease and safe when you are with your partner or when you are just thinking about it. This is what encourages you and your partner to commit to each other.
