W. Klonowski (2004) 
put forward the hypothesis that important difference between feelings (emotional processes) and thoughts (rational processes) is in the
characteristic time scales of those two kinds of brain processes and that this
may be modeled using methods of nonlinear 
dynamics. Like any complex dynamical system human brain is characterized
in any moment by momentary values of its state variables and so the brain state
may be characterized by a point in a multi-dimensional phase space with
appropriately defined coordinates. Then psycho-physiological processes in the
brain may be represented by some trajectories in this space. Since psychophysical
processes occurring in the brain continuously change brain’s phase space, rational
processes that are much slower than emotional processes take place in the phase
space that in the meantime was modified by emotional processes.

 

      To
analyze influence of differences in time-scales both rational and emotional
processes were modeled on a two-dimensional lattice and on extremely simplified
two-dimensional phase space of the brain. When a stimulus changes emotional
state then after a sufficiently long time the state of consciousness may
eventually also be changed – the subject becomes alerted (aware of the feeling). For example,
falling in love does happen as quickly as an involuntary reflex of hand withdrawal when one
touches a very hot surface – only after a while one becomes aware that the
touched surface was really hot; similarly, what does reach the consciousness is
not the emotion of falling in love but awareness of this emotion (W. Klonowski,
2009).

 

      By
reviewing  across a wide range of brain
research that used fMRI a team of scientists lead by Stephanie Ortigue (2010)
recently revealed that falling in love really takes only about a fifth of a
second and that it can elicit not only the same euphoric feeling as using
cocaine, but also affects intellectual areas of the brain. When a person falls
in love, 12 areas of the brain work in tandem to release euphoria-inducing chemicals
such as dopamine, oxytocine, adrenaline vasopressine, and  nerve growth factor (NGF). These results do confirm
that popular saying about lovers ‘there is a chemistry between
them’ does have a scientific basis and that long-lasting love differs a lot
from falling in love. The study also demonstrates that different types of love
involve distinct cerebral networks – passionate love is sparked by the reward
part of the brain and also associative cognitive brain areas,  while unconditional love, such as that between
a mother and a child, is sparked by the common and different brain areas,
including the middle of the brain. These results also help in understanding
while when love doesn’t work out, it can be a significant cause of emotional
stress and depression. By identifying the parts of the brain stimulated by
love, doctors and therapists can better understand the pains of love-sick
patients. Ortigue’s follow-up study about the speed of love in the human brain is
expected to be released soon. 

 

Wlodzimierz Klonowski

Founding Editor Nonlinear Biomedical Physics