Limerence

*Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss*, by Antonio Canova, first version 1787–1793

Limerence is a state of mind which results from romantic feelings for another person, and typically includes intrusive, melancholic thoughts, or tragic concerns for the object of one's affection as well as a desire to form or maintain a relationship with the object of love and to have one's feelings reciprocated.

Psychologist Dorothy Tennov coined the term "limerence" as an alteration of the word "amorance" with no other etymology^[1] to describe a concept that had grown out of her work in the mid-1960s, when she interviewed over 500 people on the topic of love.^[2] In her book Love and Limerence, she writes that "to be in a state of limerence is to feel what is usually termed 'being in love.'"^[3] She coined the term to distinguish between this and other less-overwhelming emotions^[4] and to avoid implying that people who do not experience it cannot experience love.^[5]

According to Tennov and others, limerence can be considered a synonym for romantic love,^[1]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12] passionate love^[13]^[9]^[11] or a form of romantic love.^[14]

Anthropologist and author Helen Fisher writes that data collection on romantic attraction began with Love and Limerence, with Tennov collecting survey results, diaries, and other personal accounts.^[15] Fisher describes Tennov's limerence as "a suite of psychological traits associated with 'being in love'", and theorizes it to be part of a biological "attraction system" involved with mate selection in mammals.^[16]^[9]

Intense, ruminative romantic fixation is associated with dopamine reward circuits in the brain^[9]^[17]^[8] and falling in love may lower serotonin levels which is associated with intrusive thinking.^[18]

^ ^a ^b "Will limerence take the place of love?". The Observer. 11 September 1977. One of the most illuminating sessions was when Dorothy Tennov [...] described her attempts to find a suitable term for 'romantic love.' [...] 'I first used the term "amorance" then changed it back to "limerence,"' she told her audience. 'It has no roots whatsoever. It looks nice. It works well in French. Take it from me it has no etymology whatsoever.'
^ Tennov, Dorothy (1999). Love and Limerence: the Experience of Being in Love. Scarborough House. ISBN 978-0-8128-6286-7. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
^ Tennov 1999, p. 16
^ "That crazy little thing called love". The Guardian. 14 December 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
^ Tennov 1999, p. 15
^ Tennov 1999, p. 172
^ Cite error: The named reference usatoday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Frankel, Valerie (2002). "The Love Drug" (web). Oprah. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fisher, Helen (October 2002). "Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction, and Attachment". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 31: 413–419. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
^ Feeney, Judith; Noller, Patricia (1990). "Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 58 (2): 281–291. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b Bode, Adam; Kushnick, Geoff (11 April 2021). "Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love". Frontiers in Psychology. 12. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
^ Leckman, James; Mayes, Linda (July 1999). "Preoccupations and Behaviors Associated with Romantic and Parental Love: Perspectives on the Origin of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 8 (3): 635–665. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
^ Hatfield, Elaine (1988). The Psychology of Love. Yale University Press. pp. 191–217. ISBN 9780300045895.
^ (unknown), Wanda (21 January 1980). "Let's Fall in Limerence". Time. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
^ Fisher, Helen (2016). Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray (Completely Revised and Updated). W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-34974-0. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
^ Fisher, Helen (March 1998). "Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction". Human Nature. 9: 23–52. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
^ Fisher, Helen; Xu, Xiaomeng; Aron, Arthur; Brown, Lucy (9 May 2016). "Intense, Passionate, Romantic Love: A Natural Addiction? How the Fields That Investigate Romance and Substance Abuse Can Inform Each Other". Frontiers in Psychology. 7. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
^ Marazziti, D.; Akiskal, H. S.; Rossi, A.; Cassano, G. B. (1999). "Alteration of the platelet serotonin transporter in romantic love". Psychol. Med. 29 (3): 741–745. doi:10.1017/S0033291798007946. PMID 10405096. S2CID 12630172.

[observer-1] "Will limerence take the place of love?". The Observer. 11 September 1977. One of the most illuminating sessions was when Dorothy Tennov [...] described her attempts to find a suitable term for 'romantic love.' [...] 'I first used the term "amorance" then changed it back to "limerence,"' she told her audience. 'It has no roots whatsoever. It looks nice. It works well in French. Take it from me it has no etymology whatsoever.'

[Love_and_Limerence-2] Tennov, Dorothy (1999). Love and Limerence: the Experience of Being in Love. Scarborough House. ISBN 978-0-8128-6286-7. Retrieved 12 March 2011.

[3] Tennov 1999, p. 16

[4] "That crazy little thing called love". The Guardian. 14 December 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2009.

[5] Tennov 1999, p. 15

[Tennov_1999_172-6] Tennov 1999, p. 172

[usatoday-7] Cite error: The named reference usatoday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[thelovedrug-8] Frankel, Valerie (2002). "The Love Drug" (web). Oprah. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

[fisher2-9] Fisher, Helen (October 2002). "Defining the Brain Systems of Lust, Romantic Attraction, and Attachment". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 31: 413–419. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[feeneynoller-10] Feeney, Judith; Noller, Patricia (1990). "Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 58 (2): 281–291. Retrieved 23 March 2024.

[proximateandultimate-11] Bode, Adam; Kushnick, Geoff (11 April 2021). "Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives on Romantic Love". Frontiers in Psychology. 12. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

[leckmanmayes-12] Leckman, James; Mayes, Linda (July 1999). "Preoccupations and Behaviors Associated with Romantic and Parental Love: Perspectives on the Origin of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder". Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 8 (3): 635–665. Retrieved 7 April 2024.

[hatfield1-13] Hatfield, Elaine (1988). The Psychology of Love. Yale University Press. pp. 191–217. ISBN 9780300045895.

[time-14] (unknown), Wanda (21 January 1980). "Let's Fall in Limerence". Time. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2008.

[anatomyoflove-15] Fisher, Helen (2016). Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray (Completely Revised and Updated). W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-34974-0. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[fisher1-16] Fisher, Helen (March 1998). "Lust, attraction, and attachment in mammalian reproduction". Human Nature. 9: 23–52. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[fisher-dopamine-17] Fisher, Helen; Xu, Xiaomeng; Aron, Arthur; Brown, Lucy (9 May 2016). "Intense, Passionate, Romantic Love: A Natural Addiction? How the Fields That Investigate Romance and Substance Abuse Can Inform Each Other". Frontiers in Psychology. 7. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[marazziti-18] Marazziti, D.; Akiskal, H. S.; Rossi, A.; Cassano, G. B. (1999). "Alteration of the platelet serotonin transporter in romantic love". Psychol. Med. 29 (3): 741–745. doi:10.1017/S0033291798007946. PMID 10405096. S2CID 12630172.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]