Art makes us feel like we’re in love

In a recent study, Semir Zeki, Professor of Neuroaesthetics at the University College of London has shown that artwork stimulates the same centers of the brain that are active when we fall in love.



His research has shown that looking at an inspiring painting activates reward centers and releases the “feel-good” neurotransmitter dopamine.

Previously on GJ: Neuroaesthetics, with Semir Zeki interview
Professor Zeki's Blog
Zeki's book: Splendors and Miseries of the Brain: Love, Creativity, and the Quest for Human Happiness