Love and the Brain

There have been numerous brain imaging studies about love, specifically romantic love. Researchers explore the various brain regions that are associated with this particular emotion. In this presentation, each study focuses on a different aspect of love on the brain. I included a study of the unique network of areas that activate only when shown pictures of a partner versus pictures of friends, a study of the overlaps and differences between maternal love and romantic love, a study of the brain regions supporting unconditional love, a study of the intensity of neural activity associated with the length of time in love and a study of people during rest that includes those who have never been in love, those who have just come out of a relationship, and those who are in love. It is interesting to see how specific regions correlate with this feeling and how love has its own place in the brain. These studies show that it is possible to tell if someone is in love just by viewing images of their brain.

Following these fMRI photos are photographs and artistic representations of what romantic love can feel and look like. Most were clearly created with the intention of showing off love, while other works, like VJ Day in Times Square and The Lovers II, are more questionable. The forms of media used include photographs and paintings. The photographs in specific are very different from one another; the first is candid and nonconsensual while the second and third are staged. In terms of the paintings, some of the works depict a bright, happy image while others are more somber and sad. Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch and Vincent van Gogh are some of the most notable artists mentioned but there are a few that are less well-known. I really enjoyed the different styles of each piece. When put altogether, the images show how everyone has the capability to love but everyone feels and sees it differently.

The neural basis of romantic love : NeuroReport