What's Going on Under the Skin: What Touch Can Trigger
by Jerold Aust
 Is
it real love, or are you just feeling powerful brain chemicals stoked by
the touch of that special someone? Neurologists have studied the biological
and chemical changes that can be brought about by sexual desire, infatuation
or love—all of which can be intensified by touch. Touching, hugging
and kissing help fire up "nature's" love cocktail—a powerful chemical
concoction that drastically and dramatically changes our brain chemistry.
This puts a person under the influence and works marvelously when handled
correctly—depressingly if not.
 Dr.
Pat Love writes about these neurobiological effects:
"We don't need a slew of studies to convince us that sexual
energy runs high in the infatuated state, but neurologists report
that the sexual euphoria accompanying infatuation is a direct
result of the love cocktail.
"PEA (phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring, amphetamine-like
neuro-transmitter) stimulates the libido, raising interest in
sex. Dopamine makes us more sexually receptive by increasing
our enjoyment of sex and making us want it again. Norepinephrine,
which is largely responsible for that 'swept away' feeling of
infatuation, acts like a shot of sexual speed as it hurls us
into action.
"The one-two-three punch from the love potion explains why many
times lovers go along for a while claiming, 'We're just friends'
and then wham!—They fall into the sexual abyss. The delightful
influence of infatuation makes us dangerously inclined to make
decisions we may later regret. It is important to realize that
infatuation is merely the earliest stage of love. Do not mistake
this temporary power surge for a permanent condition, or confuse
it with true love" (The Truth About Love, 2001, pp.
30-31, emphasis added).
Touching, hugging and kissing can have powerful effects. If young
people understand how the body works under these potent conditions,
it can help them set boundaries to avoid triggering premarital
temptations, thereby respecting their future mates and honoring
God. VT
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