17/02/2025
Sci-Tech | ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค, ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐
Imagine walking in the hallway with your shoulders slumped and moods down, a love interest suddenly walks by like a male lead in a romantic film. Time ultimately stopped and the next thing you know, you are struck by a strong voltage of excitement and happiness. Your heart beats fast, sweat forms on your palms, and a warm rush to your chest, leaving you gasping for breath. In that instant, everything around you fadesโ all signs that the romantic hormones are working, rushing to the โreward circuitsโ of the human brain. This feeling, as complex as it seems, is called ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ.
At its core, the word ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ is the Filipino term for the fluttering feeling one would feel. It has no direct translation but if you will explain it to a native English speaker, it can simply be put as the butterflies in the stomach. ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ is described to be something as basic to humanโs biological nature. However, regarding it as part of the process of โfalling in loveโ is inaccurate as love is said to be beyond what feels good. To put it simply, ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ is basically the hormones at work, and that while ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ ignites passion, true love needs a deeper romantic connection.
According to Needle, an associate professor and coordinator of Clinical Experiences, when a person falls in love, there is an increased energy along with the presence of other signs, the sweaty palms, fast beating of heart, and a surge of positive feelings. Moreover, in the book of Dr. Daniel G. Amen entitled The Brain in Love: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life, the concepts of romantic love and infatuation are part of the brainโs reward system, both acting like motivational drives rather than emotions.
Down the limbic regions consisting of the ventral tegmental and nucleus accumbens, the brainโs reward circuit or pleasure pathways lie. Research suggests that when people are shown pictures of the people they love, areas such as the ventral tegmental and caudate regions activate, lighting up in brain scans and will continue to lit for some.
Moving on, as people fall in love, a series of chemicals flood the brains and stimulate happy feelings. Dopamine, the feel-good chemical associated with pleasure and reward activates the brainโs reward circuit, resulting in the ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ feeling which makes it addicting to the point a person desires more.
Unlike dopamine, another feel-good chemical known as serotonin is what makes the happy feeling last long. However, when levels drop, it would lead to emotional instability, anxiousness, and depression. Or worse, one could develop obsessive thoughts. Aside from dopamine and serotonin, there is oxytocin or the โcuddling chemical.โ This is where clinginess insert itself as oxytocin levels rising promotes closeness and bonding.
The love hormones are not limited to what are mentioned; there is still more left undiscussed. However, if there is one thing that needs to be grasped, it is about not lasting long enough. In fact, starting from nine months to three years, these hormones would decline. Science labels it as part of the process that no matter how steady a relationship may seem, the danger of falling apart lies present, lurking in the corner, waiting to attack. However, for humans, the declination would easily be perceived as falling out of love unless they are patient enough to rekindle the chemical bond.
In the end, while science explains the thrilling rush of kilig, love remains beyond the concept of working hormones. The fleeting nature of kilig only reminds us that initial spark is only the start. Its flutter may fade over time, but if your love can withstand the decline, love and ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐จ can come stronger and sweeter the second time around.
๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ, ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ช๐ต๐ด ๐ต๐ณ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ, ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด.
Piece | Jessica Carabuena
Art | Leslie Rivero
