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February 27, 2009

Strange But True!

Q. “I'm stoned in love with you,” crooned the Stylistics. “Love is a drug and I need to score,” intoned Bryan Ferry. If music comes close to the metaphoric love “drug,” what are a few of love's more literal effects?

A. In the early stages of a relationship, huge releases of oxytocin (the “trust” hormone) and feel-good hormones like dopamine and norepinephrine are at such high levels they could be regarded as inducing clinically verifiable altered states of consciousness, says Daniel Levitin in “The World in Six Songs.” Our heart rate speeds up when we think about our loved one, impelling us to make resolutions about losing weight or exercising more and filling us with a giddy optimism.


 
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