A recent study from the University of Pennsylvania has revealed that “soulmates” may not be a myth after all.
Researchers found that there is a specific type of brain activity when two people who have been married for more than 20 years look at each other.
This suggests that there really can be someone out there who knows you better than anyone else and loves you unconditionally, or in this case, soulmates!
This blog post will explore the psychological facts about soulmates and how they are proven to exist with science!
Love is a complex feeling and experience with both psychological and neurobiological components.
The word “love” is usually defined as a deep affection, liking, or desire towards someone or something.
Unfortunately, love is often diluted in our day-to-day language to include other feelings that are not necessarily associated with it such as lust, infatuation, and commitment.
Therefore, it is important to understand that love is much more than just an act of sex, but rather a complex mix of feelings and desires.
We often confuse love with infatuation, thinking that these two concepts are one and the same. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Infatuation is defined as “an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something.” whereas love is more associated with a long-lasting and meaningful connection.
“It was like I had met my soulmate, my other half, the yin to my yang.” This is a common quote found on many social media sites describing people’s feelings about their other half. However, what does the latest research say about the existence of soulmates?
Can someone have a “soulmate”?
In order to determine if humans can be connected in a deep and meaningful way to another person similar to the connection between a married couple, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study on long-term married couples.
They used an MRI machine to scan the brains of both spouses while they looked at photos of each other and were asked to describe what they felt for their partner.
The researchers found that when participants viewed images of their partners, there was increased activity in three key areas of their brain:
Anterior cingulate cortex, the caudate nucleus, and the ventral tegmental area.
This means that when people are in love with someone, their brain reacts in a way very similar to how it would react if they were taking cocaine! The areas of the brain that are being activated by looking at one’s significant other are part of the dopamine reward system, which is associated with addictive behaviors. The results were the same when participants looked at images of an acquaintance, who they did not feel was their soul mate.
Therefore, there appears to be some scientific evidence that may suggest that humans are actually biologically predisposed to love someone deeply and unconditionally.
In terms of psychology, there is a concept known as the “self-expansion theory” that suggests that we strive for self-growth by sharing our lives with other people.
This creates an expansion of the self, which is core to being human. We are social beings who rely on relationships in order to survive.
Couples who experience “self-expansion” by sharing their lives with each other are more satisfied in their marriages than couples who do not experience self-expansion.
Self-expansion is an ongoing process that involves the development of intimacy throughout the course of a relationship over time.
As a result of self-expansion, couples feel less need to rely on their friends for support because they have each other; they no longer need to rely on others in order to feel valued.
It is important to note that when people are in love, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are engaged in fulfilling activities together. Rather, it is the shared experience with another person that helps them to feel whole.
We are complicated organisms and at times many of us struggle to relate with our emotions. For most people, romantic relationships offer an opportunity for unconditional love, closeness, intimacy, and mutual support.
When you truly love someone unconditionally, you will not only be their biggest fan, but you will also put in the necessary effort and time to improve your relationship.
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So what happens when someone falls out of love?
There is not a singular reason why people fall out of love. Rather, there are many factors that can influence if and how quickly someone falls out of love.
For example, individuals who grew up in emotionally invalidating environments may grow up not knowing how to effectively cope with their emotions and will struggle to maintain a romantic relationship into adulthood. Alternatively, people who grew up in highly supportive environments that taught them how important it is to respect themselves and others tend to be more satisfied in their romantic relationships.
People who are insecure, anxious, and/or have difficulty maintaining boundaries may also struggle to build a healthy relationship because they become “clingy” and desperate instead of gradually initiating intimacy.
The internet has created new ways in which we can connect with other people; social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow us to stay connected with our friends and family as though they live in the same city as us. This concept of “closeness” has created a generation of people who are perhaps too close for comfort.
Many adolescents report that they feel more emotionally attached to their Facebook friends than their partner or best friend. This type of heightened intimacy can also lead to emotionally driven breakups. Many people expect their partner to be their soul mate, best friend, and therapist all in one, which is a lot of pressure.
So how do we manage our emotions?
The first step is to identify what you are feeling. It is important that you do not try to change or suppress how you feel. Processing your emotions in a meaningful way will not only help you to understand yourself better, but will also allow you to be present with your partner.
The next step is to learn how to speak up for what you want. Many people go through their entire lives without having learned how to ask for what they want; if you don’t know what you want and ask for it, your partner will not magically read your mind and provide it.
It is also important to learn how to receive love from others; the number of people who say they feel loved by their partners yet report being emotionally unhappy is staggering. Learning how to understand and communicate your needs may help your partner to feel like you appreciate and love them.
It is common for people who are unhappy in their relationships to suddenly stop spending time with the people they used to enjoy. They may even suddenly become extremely busy and use that as an excuse not to spend time with others or with their partner (including not having sex).
These are all signs that your relationship needs some work; if you are emotionally unhappy, it is vital that you address the problems in your relationship immediately before they become worse.
Often, emotionally distancing oneself from a partner will bring about guilt and regret; the longer you wait to communicate how you feel with your partner, the more likely you are to experience these negative emotions.
Remember: your partner is not responsible for your happiness, but they can help you to find it. Getting along with your partner and having a supportive relationship does not mean that you will always feel happy, but it does mean that you will be more satisfied in life if you depend on other people instead of depending only on yourself.
If you are looking for more information on making your relationship better, check out these helpful resources:
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