Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Love and Limerence: The Nature of Being in Love

What is limerence?

An involuntary state in which a person feels intense romantic desire for another person.  A word coined by the late psychologist, Dorothy Tennov in 1977.

What are some of the signs of early romance that can become addictive?

1.  obsessive thinking
2.  craving or longing for reciprocation
3.  fantasies of romance object reciprocating
4.  moods shift from bliss to despair
5.  shyness in presence of love object
6.  thrives on hope and uncertainty
7.  intensity of focus
8.  amazing ability to show our virtues and see theirs
9.  heart palpitations, trembling, general weakness
10. looking for positive reinforcements and exaggerating the negative