The Neurobiology Of Love Poem by Zen Materialist

We know that when looking upon your beloved that the right ventral tegmental area and parts of the caudate nucleus activate to distribute dopamine, the chemical that rewards your brain.These areas of the brain are the oldest evolutionarily - nearly identical with reptiles - and are same areas activated by drugs like cocaine.

We know that when two people are talking, and really understand each other, that specific areas of their two brains are literally synchronized, and activity in the listener's striatum and medial prefrontal cortex can even anticipate activity in the speaker's brain.

We know that oxytocin is a neuropeptide secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, and its production is stimulated by cuddling, and its release causes you to be more trusting and bonded with those around you, reducing stress hormones like cortisol, and even makes you more sensitive to subtle facial cues.
We also know that food sharing, which we'll be doing soon, also generates higher levels of oxytocin.

We know that when in love, the connections between the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala are depleted, reducing the ability to make critical assessments - the neural basis for the saying that love is blind.

Knowing all this does not reduce the feelings that DELTA and KAPPA have for each other.Knowing the ingredients of a chocolate cake does not reduce your joy in eating it.In fact, knowing that the chef put in a few drops of raspberry juice could help you appreciate it even more. It's like having tasting notes for a fine wine - it helps to know what to look for. The science of love takes nothing away from the mystery and wonder of the feeling of love, it makes it all the more mysterious and wondrous.