Does realizing that the experience of love is just another neurochemical event sort of take the romance out of it?

[msc545]

[purplepoppy]

Love is merely a bond between two opposing genders that keeps you together despite the easy availability of higher quality mating material hence maximising long term reproductive success through offspring survival rates. Absolutely no different to fish that pair for life.

[msc545]

Well, yeah, there is a difference. Fish have fins.

[LazerBean]

Yes. But just as with other emotions, there are things that we can do and that others can do to keep that neurochemical experience going.

[LazerBean]

I just realized I read your question wrong. My answer would be no, but the rest of my answer would stay the same.

[ProbablyClueless]

I don’t think so… to me it almost makes it more magical because you have two identical chemical reactions happening in two separate, isolated systems (brains of two bodies).

[slatyb]

Absolutely everything is a neurochemical event. That's all there is.

[msc545]

I'm not sure if that's all there is, but at least that's all we know about. Read a book called The Ghost in the Machine to think about this a little more.

[slatyb]

All evidence is that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of brain biochemistry. No, we don't completely understand how it arises, but there are many complex systems with behaviors we don't fully understand. There is no evidence for any "Ghost in the Machine" regardless of how comforting some people may find that belief. I find such discussions uninteresting.

[msc545]

Except, if you try to explain the complexity of consciousness making reference to brain biochemistry, it seems not to work.

[slatyb]

There are an enormous number of neurons densely interconnected. Just because we don't know how that gives rise to a conscious being (and it's not limited to humans) doesn't mean there's some metaphysical magic happening. This is basically the God of the gaps -- we don't know how it works, it must be magic.

[msc545]

I know that there are thank you. That does not mean your explanation is correct.

[msc545]

Even snails seem to have millions of neurons.

[slatyb]

The alternative is magic.

[msc545]

As some famous science fiction writer, maybe Heinlein, said: "Magic is just another word for technology we don't understand."

[msc545]

Okay, I was close: Arthur C. Clarke said, , "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"

[Sevenpointfive]

he was pretty good in green mile

[slatyb]

What does that mean "it seems not to work?" It's not even easy to define consciousness.

[RandomGirl42]

No, 'cuz I just really love love! Or maybe I'm just addicted to neurochemicals and my entire life has been one big neurochemical event. 😳

[Sevenpointfive]

but what we really want to know is...

can you make a love potion?

[msc545]

Love potions are not real in the magical, instant-fix sense found in stories, as genuine love cannot be forced or manipulated. While historically used in folklore and sometimes involving dangerous, toxic ingredients, no potion can create true, lasting affection. Scientific research focuses on neurotransmitters like oxytocin to understand attraction, but not to create a "spell".

[Sevenpointfive]

isn't that kind of why we use perfume and cologne nowdays? the pheremones trigger noses and brain activity?

[msc545]

Big points.

[MisterWack]

Love is love.

[msc545]

Love is a temporary excess of dopamine and a couple of other hormones.

[MisterWack]

@msc545 I pronounce dopamine and other as husband and wife.

[msc545]

LOL! That is a great one. Thank you!

[MisterWack]

@msc545 Yw lol

[Anonymous]

Yes I've known this for years 🧠
🙃

[exitseven]

It never did but you just ruined it for me,

[888theGreat]

I don't know

[Anonymous]

Does it?

[msc545]

Yes, it does, for me at least. It tends to go flat after a short period of time. The experience of flatness means that it's not exciting anymore and it's not interesting and novel anymore; it's just dull and boring.

[Opinion Owner]

@msc545
Okay, I don’t really know 🤷‍♀️