Samhita has hardly slept all night. Or for that matter, for the past few nights. Her heart is pounding, her pulse is racing, she feels she‘s floating in the air. Her senses seem to be heightened: colours are brighter, an unseen orchestra seems to be providing a background score for her life, and happiness seems to have taken permanent residence in her heart. At the same time, she feels jittery, her palms are sweaty, she has lost her appetite. Is she ill? Cynics might say she is, but the more romantically inclined ones will acknowledge that she is in love.

Samhita is feeling the effects of phenylethylamine (PEA), also known as the ‘love molecule’. Almost all human cultures acknowledge the sometimes evanescent, often devastating condition called love. But it all boils down to the release of this chemical which sets off the first stage of falling in love: infatuation. Looking deeply into the loved one’s eyes or a mere brush of his hands can result in a racing pulse, a pounding heart, a dry mouth, and sweaty palms. PEA in turn sets off a cascade of chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine which fill one with a sense of well being and also heighten one’s senses.

Norepinephrine is a precursor of adrenaline, the chemical which is normally released in times of danger and stress. Adrenaline provides a huge surge of energy which explains why the person in love can spend hours talking to the loved one, even forgoing sleep. This combination of chemicals is intensely addicting and a person in love keeps wanting more and more of these highs. The sight, sound and presence of the object of affection become central to living. This is the next stage:romantic love. This state is characterised by ‘feelings of exhilaration, and intrusive, obsessive thoughts about the loved one’, says Helen Fisher, anthropologist and author of several books on love.

An interesting study from the University College, London scanned the brains of people to understand ‘this thing called love’. Interestingly, the area of the brain that lit up was the one associated with using cocaine. Love, in other words, uses the same neural mechanisms that are activated during the process of addiction!