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Most people get into pheromone research,looking for one thing,a "love potion" (or at least a lust potion). While pheromones serve their purpose,they just don't have the prestige that the classic love potion seems to have. There's just something romantic (not to mention desperate and slightly creepy) about about getting your intended to eat/drink a "magic" potion which makes them fall head over heals for you, (or in certain stories accidentally make them fall for someone else).
While reality is a tad more complex than fiction, biochemistry tells us that the occurrence called "love" can be considered a chemical addiction. So in theory love (or at least its effects) can be created through chemistry. I believe that if you can do that long enough to make a person believe that they are falling for you, then their mind will continue the biological processes and make it true.
The primary brain chemicals (at least the known ones) that deal with love are dopamine and norapinephrin.
Dopamine is a versatile neurotransmitter serving many purposes throughout the brain depending on location and concentration. One of those is in the pleasure centers of the brain specifically its the trigger for "expectation of pleasure", elsewhere in the brain its also a signal for stress. The primary effect of androstenone on the female brain is that it increases dopamine production. (could explain both the positive effects and the negative OD effects) Curiously the active ingredient in chocolate,cocaine,the greater amphetamine class of drugs (including caffeine),and several other addictive compounds also increase the dopamine concentration in the brain. The passion flower,tobacco,and many other plants have compounds known as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors which prevent certain proteins from breaking down the dopamine and norapinephrin produced in the brain.
I haven't done as much research on norapinephrin as dopamine,but its effect is the one you probably experienced with your first crush. The moment where all time seems to stop or slow down, you heart beats faster your breathing speeds up,palms sweat, knees lose all semblance of stability,etc. Ya that's the norapinephrin rush.
Dopamine on the other hand is what causes the excitement and joy when you see (or expect to see) your crush,it makes it hard to stop thinking about the person (addiction remember). The sadness when you have to leave,followed by deep depression later on is actually a crash when the amount of dopamine in your system plummets.
Ok so now I have a good outline of the basic theory behind the function of love potions laid down. Now we can start the discussion on improving this theory. Or better yet ideas on how to actually create a functional (preferably not overwhelming) love potion.
While reality is a tad more complex than fiction, biochemistry tells us that the occurrence called "love" can be considered a chemical addiction. So in theory love (or at least its effects) can be created through chemistry. I believe that if you can do that long enough to make a person believe that they are falling for you, then their mind will continue the biological processes and make it true.
The primary brain chemicals (at least the known ones) that deal with love are dopamine and norapinephrin.
Dopamine is a versatile neurotransmitter serving many purposes throughout the brain depending on location and concentration. One of those is in the pleasure centers of the brain specifically its the trigger for "expectation of pleasure", elsewhere in the brain its also a signal for stress. The primary effect of androstenone on the female brain is that it increases dopamine production. (could explain both the positive effects and the negative OD effects) Curiously the active ingredient in chocolate,cocaine,the greater amphetamine class of drugs (including caffeine),and several other addictive compounds also increase the dopamine concentration in the brain. The passion flower,tobacco,and many other plants have compounds known as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors which prevent certain proteins from breaking down the dopamine and norapinephrin produced in the brain.
I haven't done as much research on norapinephrin as dopamine,but its effect is the one you probably experienced with your first crush. The moment where all time seems to stop or slow down, you heart beats faster your breathing speeds up,palms sweat, knees lose all semblance of stability,etc. Ya that's the norapinephrin rush.
Dopamine on the other hand is what causes the excitement and joy when you see (or expect to see) your crush,it makes it hard to stop thinking about the person (addiction remember). The sadness when you have to leave,followed by deep depression later on is actually a crash when the amount of dopamine in your system plummets.
Ok so now I have a good outline of the basic theory behind the function of love potions laid down. Now we can start the discussion on improving this theory. Or better yet ideas on how to actually create a functional (preferably not overwhelming) love potion.
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