Did you know that hanging art in your home can spark love vibes? Viewing art stimulates the same part of the brain that is excited when you fall for someone romantically. Richard Alleyne, a science correspondent for The Telegraph, in his article titled Viewing Art Gives Same Pleasure as Being In-Love, he interviews Professor Semir Zeki a neurobiologist at the University College London who conducted a series of pioneering brain-mapping experiments. Professor Zeki found that, “the brain releases dopamine, the chemical of pleasure when someone is viewing art.” According to his research, “viewing art triggers a surge of the feel-good chemical, dopamine, into the orbito-frontal cortex of the brain, resulting in feelings of intense pleasure. Dopamine and the orbito-frontal cortex are both known to be involved in desire and affection and in invoking pleasurable feelings in the brain.”
Why is love such a dominant and compelling universal need? Love gives life purpose; without it, we feel aimless and lacking. According to famed psychologist Abraham Maslow, the love of self, family, friends, a support system, or a lover, satisfies our psychological esteem needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs tells that love, and belonging is a powerful component of success and self-actualization. So if you’re unsure what to gift yourself or your loved one on this Valentine’s day, art may be that memorable, timeless love adventure, your life’s journey needs.
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Ari Poe 