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when you are “turned on” that causes blood vessels to dilate and increases blood flow especially to the penis. Drugs like Viagra and Cialis work by stimulating the release of nitric oxide. Though these medications can work very well for some men, results of the studies that have been done thus far on women have not been compelling. Also, because these medications affect blood vessels, caution must be taken in giving them to individuals with blood pressure problems or heart disease.
    Pheromones
    Have you ever noticed how you have been attracted to the way someone of the opposite sex smells while another’s scent may completely repel you? Pheromones, scented hormones secreted bysweat glands primarily in the armpits, are thought to attract the opposite sex. In 1991, a research group from Harvard University proved the existence of this “sixth sense,” or human vameronasal system. How these hormones work is not clearly understood yet, but they are thought to influence how humans mate, bond, and take care of their offspring. Women in college dorms, or who spend a lot of time together, develop synchronized menstrual cycles and pheromones are thought to be responsible for this phenomenon. In primitive times, scent was one of the first methods of communication, and it is still an important part of how humans relate and who they will want sexually. According to neurologist Alan Hirsch, smell also has a tremendous impact on attraction. “If you smell good, we want you closer; if you smell bad, we want you to go away. When you think about the sexual organ, you really should be speaking of the nose.” He goes on to say that we talk about love at first sight, when we really should be speaking of love at first sniff, because there’s a direct connection between the olfactory bulb at the top of the nose and the septal nucleus of the brain, the erection center. Sexual arousal is also associated with engorgement of the erectile tissue in the nose. Dr. Hirsch has treated patients who have smell and taste disorders, and found that almost a quarter of people who lost their sense of smell develop sexual dysfunction. Measuring penile blood flow with what looks like a small blood pressure cuff, he found that sexual arousal in men was enhanced by the smells of lavender and pumpkin pie. Doughnuts, licorice, and cinnamon were also on the top of the list. (I will discuss this topic in more depth in Lesson Nine, which covers aphrodisiacs.)
    Infatuation Chemicals—
“I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”
(Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Dopamine,          
Serotonin, and Phenylethylamine)   
    Mother Nature formulated a very powerful concoction when she created the potion of chemicals involved with infatuation. The biology is smart because if it weren’t for this forceful surge ofchemicals, the inhibitory centers in the brain (primarily the amygdala), which warn us of potential danger or heartache, would prevail and people would never meet, mate, and procreate. Some have described the infatuation stage as an “altered state of consciousness” or akin to being “intoxicated” or “under the influence.” People in this phase tend to sacrifice sleep, stay up late for hours talking with their lover on the phone, send abundant e-mails daily, and engage in behaviors that they wouldn’t typically do, such as skydiving when they are afraid of heights or eating sushi when the thought of raw fish has always made them gag.
    Romantic love and infatuation are not so much of an emotion as they are motivational drives. They are part of the brain’s reward system. These feelings intensify to compel lovers to seek mating partners. The brain links these drives to all kinds of specific emotions, depending on how the relationship is going. All the while, our PFC is assembling information, putting the pieces of data into patterns, coming up with strategies, and monitoring progress toward “life’s greatest prize.” The chemicals that