In: Biology
1.What is an emotion? What is love? What in particular, is going on in our brain when we are in love?
Ans. Emotion is a complex psychological phenomenon which occurs as animals or people live their lives. Emotions involve physiological arousal, appraisal of the situation, expressive behaviours, and conscious experience. Emotion is associated with feeling, mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation.
Love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person, attraction that includes sexual desire, the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship.
Romantic love originates in the ventral tegmental area in the oldest part of the brain near centers that govern thirst and hunger. Romantic love is a basic drive that focuses our energy on winning life’s greatest prize: a mating partner. It is a mechanism for survival. A primary brain region linked with attachment, however, is the ventral pallidum, which is more modern and higher up. People in love long term show activity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, which is linked with ‘positive illusion’ the ability to overlook cons and focus on pros.