Some people are fascinated by mountains and paint landscape. I have always been fascinated with words. Unable to sleep and surfing through the World Wide Web, I find text to sacrifice in the studio the following day. I cut it up and fit it into my own visual world and the visual worlds of others, mixing in King Eros' fusion of knowledge.
1. When someone falls in love, they begin to feel that their beloved is unique. This phenomenon is coupled with the inability to feel romantic passion for more than one person at a time. Elevated concentrations of central dopamine are associated with exposure to a novel environment as well as with heightened and focused attention. These parallels suggest that increased levels of central dopamine contribute to the lovers focused attention on the beloved and the lovers tendency to regard the beloved as unique.
2. Individuals reporting feelings of romantic attraction experience a host of labile psychophysiological responses, including exhilaration, euphoria, increased energy, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, trembling, a pounding heart, and accelerated breathing. Many also report feeling anxiety, panic, and/or fear in the presence of the beloved. They are subject to abrupt mood swings as well. If the relationship suffers a setback, the attracted individual may fall into listlessness, brooding, and feelings of despair. Increased concentrations of dopamine in the brain are associated with euphoria, loss of appetite, hyperactivity, increased mental activity, a delay of the onset of fatigue, and a decreased need for sleep, as well as with anxiety, panic, and a fearlike state. Hence elevated levels of dopamine are likely agent for the ecstacy, increased energy, sleeplessness, reduced appetite, fear, and anxiety associated with romantic attraction.
3. Individuals reporting feelings of romantic attraction tend to focus their attention on the positive qualities of the beloved and overlook or falsely appraise his/her negative traits. They also focus on specific events, objects, and other phenomena that they have come to associate with the beloved.
Increased levels of central dopamine are associated with focused attention. This tendency to dwell on specific traits of the beloved and specific moments linked with the beloved are additional indications that elevated levels of central dopamine are associated with the feeling of romantic attraction, because elevated levels of central norepinephrine are associated with increased memory for new stimuli, increased levels of central norepinephrine are most likely also involved.
Increased levels of central dopamine are associated with focused attention. This tendency to dwell on specific traits of the beloved and specific moments linked with the beloved are additional indications that elevated levels of central dopamine are associated with the feeling of romantic attraction, because elevated levels of central norepinephrine are associated with increased memory for new stimuli, increased levels of central norepinephrine are most likely also involved.
4. In times of adversity, infatuated individuals experience an intensification of romantic attraction. This reaction may also be associated with elevated levels of central dopamine because when a reward is delayed, dopamine-producing neurons in the midbrain increase their productivity.
5. Individuals reporting feelings of romantic attraction think about the beloved obsessively, what is known as "intrusive thinking". Many informants report that they muse about their "love object" over 85% of their waking hours. Intrusive thinking is a form of obsessive behavior and serotoninreuptake inhibitors are currently the agents of choice in treating most forms of obsessivecompulsive disorder. These parallels suggest that decreased levels of central serotonin, contribute to the intrusive thinking associated with romantic attraction.
6. Individuals reporting feelings of romantic attraction regulary exhibit signs of emotional dependency on the relationship, including possessiveness, jealousy, fear of rejection, and seperation anxiety.
7. They experience longing for emotional union with the beloved.
8. They feel a powerful sense of empathy toward the beloved and a willingness to sacrifice for him or her.
9. They tend to reorder their daily priorities and/or change their clothing, mannerism, habits, or values to become available to the beloved.
10. People reporting feelings of romantic attraction experience sexual desire for the beloved, coupled with possessiveness, the drive for sexual exclusivity, and feelings of jealousy if they suspect infidelity.
11. Yet, for those who are "in love", the craving for emotional union often takes precedence over the desire for sexual union with the beloved. Fiftyeight percent of men and 72% if women disagreed with the statement, "the best thing about love is sex", and 64% of both sexes disagreed with the statement, "sex is the most important part of my relationship with..."
12. Individuals expressing feelings of romantic attraction commonly report that this passion is involuntary and uncontrollable.
13. Romantic attraction is generally impermanent, unless physical or social barriers inhibit partners from seeing one another regulary.
