Scientists Can Now Confirm If You're Really In Love

It seems there will be little left to our imaginations. A group of Neuroscientists from New York and China have been working together by studying brain scans of people who are either in love or just broken up from a relationship. The findings which they have published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience noticed a difference in brain activity of those who were in love - as opposed to those who are not.

This raises concerns... Will this be used against people in divorce proceedings? If this kind of technology becomes widely available, will it give more paranoia to those in unstable relationships who want to keep checking if their partner loves them or cheating on them, etc?

It's an interesting concept. Here is a quote which raises some intriguing possibilities:

The findings may have important implications for the treatment of mood disorders. If we're able to better understand how positive emotions work in the brain, we might be better equipped to treat negative ones. "While much of the current research in psychiatry focuses on negative symptoms of psychiatric disorders, we believe that understanding positive emotional states may be crucial for further development of treatment," Zilverstand said. "This research may be relevant for developing treatment for people who have difficulty engaging in social relationships, interventions to alleviate the negative impact of breakup, but also in treatment of psychiatric disorders in general."

With further research, this technology may also one day be used to reveal a person's true emotions -- possibly in a courtroom setting. What if a brain scan could reveal if you've been unfaithful? When it comes to crimes of passion, these brains scans could someday be the new lie detectors.

To see the full article:
www.huffingtonpost.com...

a reply to: AlmostRosey

Science..ruining everything since 1842!

a reply to: AlmostRosey


Ummm...I would be more interested in the changes that occur during deep meditation...

I was asked to be in a study at Stamford regarding this very thing...Unfortunately I couldn't make it out there to take part in it...

I don't think it would be much use in a divorce proceeding though...at that point it probably would be moot attempting to define percentages of...love...


YouSir

originally posted by: AlmostRosey
"This research may be relevant for developing treatment for people who have difficulty engaging in social relationships, interventions to alleviate the negative impact of breakup, but also in treatment of psychiatric disorders in general."

I have difficulty engaging in social relationships, because I know too much and I think too much and it sketches me out and can cause anxiety over the potential outcomes, which are then weighed in the mind against the potential hurt involved such as rejection or embarrassment. I don't like it either.

Medication is not the answer, if thats whats meant by treatment. You don't need drugs to dumb your system down enough to be able to force yourself to have social relationships w/people. The natural reaction you get from trying to be social with certain people that makes you feel uneasy isn't an illness, it's a survival mechanism.

Unless you're speaking of just having companionship or having sex. If you can't get either, you truly need to look inward and make some changes, or start finding other traits attractive, because you're trying to go for the wrong ones.

Shallow, trendy women don't appreciate refined men with higher thinking.

It's always been that way and always will be. If you want one of those, cut your hair a certain way, buy a certain outfit, and essentially "dress yourself up" for the part. I guarantee that even if you succeed, it will be short-lived and petty.

I hate science & I think this sounds awesome!

a reply to: AlmostRosey

"If this kind of technology becomes widely available, will it give more paranoia to those in unstable relationships who want to keep checking if their partner loves them or cheating on them, etc? "

The partner going through being checked to see if they're still really in love with the other, would tire quickly of those insecurities of the partner who feels like they have to brain scan for this, repeatedly.

I once had a spouse ridiculously jealous of my dog. He even told me to choose between him or the dog.
I chose the dog, telling my spouse the dog would never make me choose....
Some people's insecurities arise from themselves not being trustworthy.

a reply to: AlmostRosey

I would think this could only be used in a divorce if it was first used when applying for a marriage licence. If you're not in love when you get married, it wouldn't matter on the flip side of that coin (Think marriage of monetary convenience or to gain legal status).

Call me cynical, but these types of marriages are more the rule than the exception these days.......regardless of what your vows say. That's all for show. The business end of it is what counts in American society.

So really, I don't see this ever being used for legal reasons. It would be more of a novelty. Like something a fortune teller would use.

originally posted by: snowspirit
The partner going through being checked to see if they're still really in love with the other, would tire quickly of those insecurities of the partner who feels like they have to brain scan for this, repeatedly.

LOL, you're too right.

Her: "You don't love me!"
Him: "Yes I do, I swear I love you. I just have problems."
Her: "I don't believe it and I won't until you go get another scan."

*mistreatment, misery, paranoia, and insecurity reign in the home, during the few hours the man has to relax inbetween daily tasks/work*

They could make a TV talk show out of it like Dr. Phil or Steve Wilkos show, hook people up to the scanner on air and all. It'll be better than the polygraph! Which has already created an entire entertainment industry of sorts by being used on every day time talk show out there. you know, the ones on in the middle of the afternoon while most people are at work? I wonder the demographics of their viewer base, I've got a feeling it's mostly females who are home during the day for one reason or another.

Sometimes I wish I had an in-home polygraph testing kit (they have them for $100, they plug into your USB port). It would really cut down on the arguing, disagreements, and accusations that take place.

originally posted by: AlmostRosey
This raises concerns... Will this be used against people in divorce proceedings?

Love is not a requirement of marriage (sad but true) and most states have no-fault divorce laws. So I'm gonna say it won't affect divorce proceedings (although it could be the cause of them).

I guess I feel it's like hiring a private investigator to follow your spouse. If you reach that point it probably doesn't matter if they are cheating or not, you've got trust or communication problems.

It will be difficult for loveless sociopaths to hide in the near future... might be nice for some to have an app that scans potential hook-ups for clingy love emotions... or lack thereof... although it's hard for anyone to hide anything from the NSA, now, as it is.

Maybe a device that scans politicians for a hint of empathy would be the best application?

But I haven't heard a good, consistent description of love ... describing it chemically might be a little easier... what's their metric for 'love' ... might be better to label it attraction or interest?

Taking people who are supposedly "in love" and those who are "broken up"...

Tell me how that actually equates to a true test of being "in love". What about people who love their animals? What about people who just enjoy another persons company? What about people who are just naturally happy or have a positive outlook on life? There are far too many variables in the human mind to define the state of being "in love". It could easily be mistaken simply for "enjoyment".

The whole premise of this being used to determine if you've been "faithful" is a joke, considering a few poignant questions will do the job with a lie detector. Not to mention it appears the research is hinged on the subjectivity of negative/positive influences in the brain, not a specific mental state.

I just love how humans strive to find more ways to judge each other, rather than understanding each other. But no, that would actually take a conversation. We can't possibly take time out of our busy schedule to get to know one another, to walk in their shoes.....certainly not. It's far too easy to accept a 1s and 0s answer to life, whether it's wrong or wrong (yes, you read that right).

Oh, and just to add insult to injury, sociopaths have much greater control over what they feel, because they are unaffected by irrational feelings - that's what makes them so dangerous. In other words, even if by some miracle they could detect actual mental states, a sociopath would still get away with murder....or infidelity, your pick.

I foresee problems, frankly.

First of all, the average person doesn't understand "love" any more than they understand "god."

I see and hear evidence all the time of people in their 30's, 40's and 50's, who claim to have "fallen into / out of" "love," and its moronic.Love isn't about being happy all the time, or even thinking certain thoughts. It sure the hell isn't about attraction / chemistry or lust.

Love puts another before the self.

Everything else is Disneyland BS.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Look at that spike! Man, this graph is off the chart!"

The test might be able to tell if a person is in love, but not with who, or maybe just 'in love' with life generally. The object of someone's affection only exists as a placeholder. Love, the physical emotion, swirls chemicals and electricity in the brain, and it's the brain's assignment to put an image and a thousand reminders to it.

This can and will also be used to test products. That, one of the final frontiers of "counting the ways", will show corporations how to best manipulate their consumers, and politicians how to say just the right thing to win the affection of the masses.

a reply to: AlmostRosey

No control group! They had no control group!

Without that "control" all they have is an incomplete dataset...no way to actually understand what the data says.

originally posted by: Aleister
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Look at that spike! Man, this graph is off the chart!"

I think this is the best thing I've ever read on the internet. Thank you

Tanka418- Good point. I think they merely tested 100 people and noted observations.

Aleister- That's a significant issue. Even if they can measure love, they can't guarantee WHO they are in love with. So maybe this won't be so helpful in divorce proceedings.

a reply to: AlmostRosey

Thank you. What a nice compliment. I am here to serve and entertain (or at least serve the drinks). Appreciated.

And yes, just because the brain is pouring love stuff into itself (try love at first sight, that's a trip) there is no legal way to prove who or what the object of affection is.

originally posted by: Aleister
a reply to: AlmostRosey

Thank you. What a nice compliment. I am here to serve and entertain (or at least serve the drinks). Appreciated.

And yes, just because the brain is pouring love stuff into itself (try love at first sight, that's a trip) there is no legal way to prove who or what the object of affection is.

You're welcome. I'm one step away from adding it as my ATS signature

Regarding the love issue. You're right. It's a total flaw in the whole set-up. For instance, I could be thinking of my favourite bar of chocolate, and my pleasure centre would set off fireworks.

a reply to: Aedaeum

The term sociopath carries such a negative connotation; has always bothered me. Just because im a sociopath & lack irrational feeling doesn't mean I am driven by a perpetual malicious intent.

a reply to: Eunuchorn

It's no secret that sociopaths have gotten a bad reputation, but there is a man who actually found out he was a sociopath by studying others brains. You can check it out here: www.youtube.com...

If you look him up, you'll find more information about how he said because of his very stable childhood, he grew up without the usual tendencies. However he does state that his lack of empathy has been an issue in his life, when dealing with his family and friends.

Moral of the story, not all sociopaths are psychopaths, but most (if not all) psychopaths are sociopaths.