Love is complicated and so are the chemicals behind it. Research has found that oxytocin, the so-called molecule of monogamy, can also be behind adultery.
The body is a bewildering soup of chemicals, all doing different jobs. But it is in the brain that one finds some of the most remarkable chemicals. As our knowledge of the intricate structure and functioning of the brain has grown, the dramatic role of these neurochemicals in shaping our life has come to light.
Anandamide sounds like a complicated chemical name till you break it down: ananda (Sanskrit for happiness, bliss) and amide (a common chemical suffix). Made in certain brain cells, it reduces stress and induces a sense of calmness. This trippy chemical belongs to a group called endocannabinoids which act in the same way as cannabis (marijuana).
Scientists have identified a clutch of such chemicals made in the body for inducing positive feelings like pleasure, happiness, appetite, good sleep, social trust, romantic feelings and sexual arousal. Many of them evolved in simple organisms millions of years ago but in the complex hierarchy of the human body they now occupy premium slots. They all play a variety of roles, some crucial, and some mundane. All of them come into play in spurts, and then fade away, to be released again when needed.
The most basic of emotions are triggered by combinations of these chemicals, says Jak Panksepp, professor at George Washington University and one of the world’s leading researchers on such chemicals.
“There are at least seven evolutionarily dedicated emotional systems in the brain, with complex anatomies and neurochemistries.” he told TOI.
These are Seeking, Rage, Fear, Lust, Care, PanicGrief and Play. Other ‘higher’ emotions are based on these, influenced by individual life trajectories and learning, Panksepp said.
One important molecule is oxytocin, which was known for over a century as a trigger for child birth and lactation. Only in the mid-1990s was it found to induce the maternal feeling of caring. In fact, it induces a general “tend and befriend” feeling, a social emotion. It increases generosity, sharing, cooperation and trust. Hugging, cuddling or even shaking hands can induce a surge in oxytocin.
Serotonin is produced in the brain as well as in the intestines. In the brain, it helps in uplifting mood, increases appetite and induces sleep.
Studies show that it also has a role in learning and memory. In the intestines, it helps in keeping the food moving along the system and taking defensive action like vomiting if infections or poisons are encountered.
Dopamine, often called the reward molecule, encourages us to seek gratification. We know that food or sex gives pleasure, and so, on a cue, dopamine triggers off the desire as well as the action towards seeking them.
GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is one of the most important inhibitory neurochemicals in the body. Its role is to calm down, relieve stress and anxiety and induce a feeling of well-being.
All these important chemicals often work in an interconnected way. For example, endorphins are known to reduce pain. They do so by inhibiting the release of GABA, resulting in excess production of dopamine, which in turn induces the sense of pleasure.
Research on these neurochemicals is a work in progress and new, sometimes bizarre findings are emerging. For example, Andrew Kemp of Sydney University found that oxytocin also induces envy and gloating. Oxytocin, according to Kemp, encourages ‘approach’ or “I want” feeling, which would lead to envy (“I want what you have”).
What would happen if for some reason oxytocin levels remain low in a person? The person would not bond with other people, perhaps, not even with family or friends. This could take a socially unacceptable turn producing a sexually promiscuous man. Dopamine and testosterone would drive him to seek relationships, but deficiency of oxytocin would result in an inability to bond. Thus, the man would become a ‘philanderer’ – a socially unacceptable category. He would seek repeated sexual adventures without responsibility or commitment.
