Love Doc II

support@wellness.com — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:25:24 Z

Wellness.com - Love Doc II by Dr Praver

6-16-09

I began talking about love and the brain yesterday. President Obama considered empathy as central to his pick for Supreme Court judge. By empathy he meant the ability to walk in someone else's shoes, not to be like them, but to resonate with them. I think empathy is essential in the psychology of politics and in the psychology of love. If extreme right wing and hate groups had more empathy for those they target, we would see less hate and more love.

Here's a little about empathy and our love lives. Empathy began in the infant mother interaction -the first love story. And that's because we are wired with mirror neurons that connect us to loved ones. These miniscule mirror neurons located behind the eye sockets trigger empathy, emotional resonance, and bonding. They also connect to other neurons that trigger the cascade of love chemicals I spoke about yesterday.

So we are neurologically and psychologically primed to love, to perpetuate intimate relationships. We really are born to love, so what goes wrong?

Stay tuned to more on love and the brain

Give me your thoughts, questions, and comments.

Dr Frances Cohen Praver

Love Doc

support@wellness.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:55:24 Z

Wellness.com - Love Doc by Dr Praver

So much hate out there. Extremism, terrorism, abortion doctor killings, white supremacist killing blacks and Jews, what about love? Remember the love generation of the seventies? I miss it. Do you? As a psychologist and book author, I think it's time to bring love back. If we all focus on the psychology and neurobiology of love we could even usher in a new era.

Did you know that the psychology of politics is our personal psychology writ large? So, let's begin the dialogue with the personal -our love lives.

I find brain research fascinating and wanted to share something remarkable with you about our brains and our love lives Falling in love and staying in love is a universal longing-the most heady experience of all. Here's how the brain brings about this bliss.

For one thing, love ensures the survival of the species and so, nature provides lovers with a cascade of good mood and love chemicals. For another, nature makes sure that love is blind. So, certain parts of the brain that control wariness, doubt, discrimination, and judgment go to sleep. That means we place our lovers high up on pedestal and don't see their shortcomings. If that could only continue!

Stay tuned for more on the brain and love.

Give me your questions, thoughts, and comments.

Dr Frances Cohen Praver, Ph.D.
http://www.wellness.com/dir/2621891/psychologist/ny/locust-valley/frances-cohen-praver-frances-cohen-praver-phd-phd

www.drfranpraver.com

Wellness Posts by Dr Praver

Love Doc II

Love Doc