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Within minutes of meeting someone we know if we are attracted to them, our heart beats faster, our pupils dilate and if we’ve got it real bad, we even get that dizzy sick feeling. But one thing is for sure, we generally make our minds up pretty quickly about whether or not we like someone.
The excitement and passion of a new relationship is like nothing else on Earth – it puts you on a seemingly permanent high, and you long to feel that way forever. But once you have ridden the wave for a while you will find yourself sailing into a calmer sea, one where you feel you will never reach those dizzying, thrilling heights again...
Love at first sight, especially if you are getting personal, could well be a little closer to love at first sniff if scientists are to be believed. But not because of the obvious smells you are giving off – the outrageously expensive perfume or the irresistible aftershave. No, scientists believe it could all be down to pheromones, the colourless and odourless chemicals that act as sexual messengers and have a subconscious effect on our behaviour. The word pheromone owes its origins to the Greek word ‘pherein’, meaning ‘to bear, and ‘hormon’, meaning ‘to stir up, urge on’
Experts believe that attraction starts off in the hypothalamus (a pea sized) centre in the brain. A chain reaction is triggered which culminates in the production of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. These all contribute to the symptoms we associate with being in love, or lust. The pounding heart and moods associated with infatuation are caused by this too; the feeling of being on top of the world, to the feelings of depression or desperation when we are separated from the object of our desire.
From the initial headlong tumble into love, we move forward into a more committed long-lasting relationship and it stands to reason that the flames that consumed us at the start will become less fierce, but it is also easy to see how love at first sight happens and also why some people become addicted to the chemical cocktail of attraction and are always out looking for the next buzz rather than a steady loving relationship. Many people feel that once this feeling has worn off, which can be in a short period of time, or as long as 18 months to two years, that their love for a person has died, when in fact, the chemicals released by the body to facilitate the initial attraction and ultimately the easing into a longer lasting relationship have simply stopped being produced by the body.
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