How do people know right away when they say they’ve met “the one?” 34% of people claim they’ve actually experienced love at first sight. But is this even possible? Here’s what the science says:
- When we’re falling in love, intense feelings of passion, exhilaration, are experienced. These feelings are are “the product of a series of neurochemical reactions in which the brain's reward system motivates the person to seek closeness and intimacy with the object of their affection.”
- Research says the decision people make whether they’re “romantically interested” in someone can happen within seconds.
- But as for being in real love? Psychologist and sex therapist Lauren Fogel Mersy, PsyD, explains, you have to actually know someone and their full self first, which is impossible to do by simply looking at someone first glance.
So what’s really going on then?
- Licensed marriage therapist, Weena Cullins says “the initial chemistry between two people who've just met can feel so strong that it leaves a lasting impression.”
- On top of this, due to something called “the halo effect,” when couples retrospectively consider the first time they met, it’s possible their current feelings of love can heighten their memories making it seem like it was love at first.
Source: Mindy Body Green