Monogamy Is Natural But Not Always Easy
Both sexes have the brain circuitry for deep attachment to a mate, but it isn’t always easy. We live in a world full of opportunities to send messages to the amygdala in our brains that will release the pleasure hormones that lead us to temptation. Mindful choices can lead to positive behavior.
Live Longer in Good Health
Monogamous marriage may be the answer to good health and happiness. According to the CDC, the married are less likely to smoke and drink heavily than people who are single, divorced, or widowed. They have reduced levels of sexually transmitted disease and lower rates of suicide.
Brain Scans Validate Soul Mate Status
Similar to the brain scans of those newly in love the soul mate scans show low activity in the areas of the brain where serotonin is produced. The difference for those still romantically in love after many years show activation in serotonin and opiad rich areas associated with elevated calmness and pleasure. “They are in the secure phase of love,” explains researcher, Bianca Acevedo of Cornell Medical College. “They still desire one another, they’re engaged, they experience the intensity–but not the anxiety.”
So there you have it. Brain study proof that couples, indeed, can learn to become soul mates!
