The Mad Lover Who Never KnewPart 2: The Deeper Layers of Illusion, Identity, and Awakening11. The Neuroscience of Romantic IllusionLove does not only live in poetry — it lives in the brain.When we fall in love, the brain releases:Dopamine (pleasure & reward)Oxytocin (bonding hormone)Serotonin shifts (obsessive thinking)Adrenaline (excitement)Romantic infatuation activates the same reward circuits as addiction.This explains why the “mad lover” feels irrational. It is not weakness — it is biology amplified by imagination.
🌙 The Mad Lover Who Never Knew Part 2: The Deeper Layers of Illusion, Identity, and Awakening 11. The Neuroscience of Romantic Illusion Love does not only live in poetry — it lives in the brain. When we fall in love, the brain releases: Dopamine (pleasure & reward) Oxytocin (bonding hormone) Serotonin shifts (obsessive thinking) Adrenaline (excitement) Romantic infatuation activates the same reward circuits as addiction. This explains why the “mad lover” feels irrational. It is not weakness — it is biology amplified by imagination. When the illusion collapses, the brain experiences withdrawal. That emotional crash feels like loss of identity. Because in a way, it is. 12. Attachment Styles and Emotional Madness Modern psychology identifies four major attachment styles: Secure Anxious Avoidant Disorganized The “mad lover” in the poem may represent an anxious attachment style: Fear of abandonment Overthinking signals Emotional intensity Idealizing partners Anxiously attac...