The Beatles said it best: "All you need is love." But exactly where do we feel that love throughout our bodies? There's an obvious answer, but sometimes matters of the heart extend to other areas we might not even be aware of.
But that's not to say we aren't attuned to the emotion: we've thoroughly assessed the five love languages, uncovered how long it takes people to fall in love, and debated when to drop said L-bomb. But what's going on with the physical sensations? Here's what's really happening inside, according to a new study from Aalto University in Finland.
Where do we feel different types of love in our bodies?
Researchers sought to uncover where we can feel love, but it's a bit more exact than you might imagine. According to the findings, there are 27 different types of love—platonic, romantic, sexual, a love of nature, religious love, etc. Those surveyed were asked where they felt these various types of emotions and how deeply.
We'll laser-focus on the ones you're probably most curious about: romantic and sexual love. According to the research, romantic love is felt in the head, heart, and stomach, and sexual love is felt in the groin. (Not a shock.) Although the response to sexual love was expected, there's a tidbit that caught us off guard regarding romantic love...
An interesting (and unexpected) finding about love
Oftentimes when we're wrapped up in a new relationship and just a little too wound up, bordering on delulu, we're told to act with our heads instead of our hearts. We need to snap out of it and be rational. But romantic love does require us to use our brains. So the next time your friends badger you about getting too caught up in that new Hinge match, you can tell them your head's on straight.
Per the findings: "Interestingly, all love types were reported to 'feel' strongly in the head. Another body area implicated strongly in most love types is chest, but this embodiment and its extent progressively decreases depending on the love type."
When romantic love—or any type of passion for that matter—really heats up, it's a full-body experience.
"True love, love for life and passionate love were felt in the whole body," the study further uncovered.
If you have love on the brain (get it?!) check out our favorite expert-backed first date tips, and if you're craving something steamy, these sex tips from the pros will provide guidance. Should you want to learn more about how we feel all types of love, you can read the study in full.
