Love at first sight

Nearly 34% of people claim they've experienced love at first sight, according to the 2017 Singles in America survey of 5,500 singles conducted by the dating site Match. Broken down by gender, 41% of men and 29% of women said they've experienced it. But many marriage therapists and other relationship experts are less convinced that people can really fall in love at first sight.

"I think people can feel intense attraction and connection that they can mistake as love," licensed marriage therapist Racine R. Henry, Ph.D., LMFT, tells mbg. "We all like to believe that love is only magic, but a lot of it is actually choice."

How long it takes to fall in love can vary depending on the individual and what their personal definition of love is. But as psychologist and sex therapist Lauren Fogel Mersy, PsyD, explains, romantic love requires actually knowing someone and their full self—something that's impossible to do just by looking at a person.

"If you see someone and never speak a word to them, do you truly feel love? Not if you define love as deep caring, understanding, support, and affection," Henry says.

That said, sometimes the initial chemistry between two people who've just met can feel so strong that it leaves a lasting impression, according to licensed marriage therapist Weena Cullins, LCMFT. "Two people can feel a deep sense of knowing each other along with an unexplainable level of connection and attraction upon first meeting each other. It's possible to sense that those feelings will remain regardless of what unfolds beyond their first encounter."

Research has shown people do tend to decide whether they are romantically interested in a person within seconds of meeting them, and that near-instantaneous decision depends on a mix of physical and psychological cues they pick up about the person at a first glance.

As for actually falling in love, a set of researchers set out in 2017 to study love at first sight as soon as it happened. They staged meetings with potential romantic partners for some 400 men and women and then asked about the feelings they experienced during the encounter. A small number of people did report falling in love at first sight, but those feelings didn't include high passion, intimacy, or commitment—all the classic hallmarks of romantic love psychologists look for, according to Sternberg's triangular theory of love.

The main factor that predicted falling in love at first sight with a stranger? Physical attraction.

In fact, rating a person one point higher in attractiveness was associated with a nine times higher likelihood of reporting love at first sight. That suggests a great majority of people who claim to have fallen in love at first sight are actually experiencing lust at first sight.

To be fair, love and lust are very commonly confused, according to psychologists Simone Humphrey, PsyD, and Signe Simon, Ph.D. "The two phenomena activate similar neural pathways in the brain that are involved in view of the self, goal-directed behavior, happiness, reward, and addiction," they write at mbg.

The intense, all-consuming feelings of passion, exhilaration, and longing associated with falling in love are the product of a series of neurochemical reactions in which the brain's reward system, fueled by the neurotransmitter dopamine, motivates the person to seek closeness and intimacy with the object of their affection—similar to the way the brain behaves when a person is experiencing drug addiction. Research by behavioral anthropologist Helen Fisher, Ph.D., suggests this romantic drive response system can theoretically be triggered instantaneously.

That said, other research has found differences in the brains of people who've recently fallen in love compared with those who've been in love for decades. While the brain's reward systems lit up for both groups of people when thinking of their beloved, the newly-in-love couples had some additional parts of the brain activated: the ones associated with fear and anxiety.

1. Physical attraction: People are much more likely to fall in love at first sight with people they find physically attractive, according to the aforementioned 2017 study.
2. Confusing love and infatuation: Infatuation involves intense feelings of attraction and fixation for someone without knowing them well, usually by way of actively ignoring red flags in favor of a fantasy.
3. Openness to love: People who are looking for love might be more likely to lean into an intense initial feeling, according to Henry. "Most important is the desire for love," she explains. "Being open to love and willing to engage in a loving relationship then creates the space for 'love at first sight.'"
4. The halo effect: It's likely that some happy couples retroactively embellish the story of how they met, applying their current feelings of love to their memories of the past. Think of it like remembering their first meeting with a positive glow.

Love at first sight isn't necessarily dangerous or unhealthy, and there are plenty of happy couples in healthy relationships who claim to have fallen in love at first sight. That said, because the feelings associated with love at first sight are usually more based on physical attraction and infatuation—as opposed to the enduring, committed care and intimacy that are hallmarks of lasting love—it's possible to get invested too quickly in a relationship that may not actually be healthy or with a partner who might not actually be compatible with them.

Early feelings of love don't necessarily mean two people are a good fit for each other, Cullins emphasizes.

"The idea that 'love conquers all' is quite misleading," she says. "Having an initial sense of deep knowing and loving connection with another person can serve as a strong base, but healthy and happy couples are also compatible in their approach to daily life, use communication and conflict resolution skills to overcome inevitable challenges, and work hard to stay in tune with each other as they evolve."

1. You feel an instant physical attraction to this person.
2. You feel an immediate connection to this person, even though you've just met.
3. You feel drawn to this person, wanting to be around them more.
4. You don't actually know anything about this person, or you know very little about them.
5. Everything you're learning about this person in this first meeting has you captivated.
6. You already know you'd be down to be in a relationship with this person.
7. You'd be OK learning that this person does have flaws, shortcomings, or qualities you dislike—it wouldn't change how you feel.
8. You'd be devastated if you never saw this person again.
9. You can tell the feeling will linger even if you don't see this person ever again.

1. Honor your feelings.Whether or not you want to call it love, Henry says it's OK to lean into those initial feelings of passion, desire, and connection in the early stages of a relationship. "When we act on those initial feelings of connection and attraction, we can allow ourselves to develop the feelings of love," she says.Also: Love and dating are supposed to be fun! So lean in and enjoy the rush.
2. Make sure you're actually ready for a relationship.Of course, do note that strong feelings alone won't make a relationship work if the individuals involved aren't actually committed to doing the work. Check in with yourself to make sure you're mentally and emotionally ready for a romantic relationship, says Henry. And make sure the object of your affection is on the same page!
3. Notice if this is a trend."Some people have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of feeling an immediate loving connection to another person, while others experience more of a pattern of falling in love quickly with people they meet," Cullins explains."Understanding your relationship with boundaries can help you determine how much you should trust your instincts when you feel you are falling in love with someone you just met. If falling in love at first sight or shortly after meeting an individual happens rather frequently, then it may be time to look at other factors that may be contributing to those feelings of immediate closeness you feel."
4. Set boundaries.As you explore your connection with this person, Cullins recommends maintaining boundaries. Remember: You just met them! You have a feeling about who they are, but you don't actually know them. So take things slow, avoid making any big life decisions right away, and get to know each other the same way you would in the early stages of any relationship."Just because you sense that you are falling in love with someone you just met, it doesn't mean that the person or situation is safe to pursue on every level," she says. "Until you determine true compatibility, which takes time and experiencing different aspects of daily life together, it's safest to proceed with caution."

The popularity of the concept of love at first sight can sometimes create unrealistic expectations, Cullins says. "If a person never experiences it, they may question if they've met the right person to date or build a life together with. Some people may worry that if their connection isn't instantaneous then they haven't met the ideal person."

The reality is, every couple has their own unique timeline, and there's no reason to rush to say "I love you." Love is something that grows, something that often requires time to learn about each other and your dynamic as a duo.

"Feeling an instant loving connection to another person isn't a prerequisite for eventually falling in love or having a healthy successful partnership if that's the goal," Cullins says.

• Even though some people don't believe in it, there's actually science behind the feeling of falling in love at first sight.
• True, deep love may not exist yet when you first meet someone, but you may create the memory of falling in love later on in your relationship.
• Some scientists do believe that love at first sight can be real for certain people, but staying in love is the deeper challenge.

Do you believe in love at first sight? According to a 2017 poll from dating site Elite Singles (via Harper's Bazaar), 61% of women and 72% of men think that love at first sight is real — that's a lot of people. Of course, it's hard to compare the way you love someone after you've spent years together making memories and being there for each other through the good and the bad, but there's definitely something to be said for instantly making a connection with someone the moment you meet. And as far as science is concerned, there's a reason you might feel that way.

The next time you think you're falling in love as soon as that first date begins — or if you feel like you and your current partner knew it would be forever from the second your eyes first met — these theories could explain why.

Feeling those butterflies immediately? There's a reason for that. As neuropsychotherapist Dr. Trisha Stratford told The Huffington Post, when you feel like you're falling in love, a chemical reaction is actually happening in your brain, releasing all those warm, fuzzy feelings. Your brain is creating dopamine and serotonin, and Stratford said that it "looks like the brain of someone high on heroin." Because of those chemicals, you may feel an instant attachment to someone, and as long as your brain can sense that attachment is returned, it is on.

"When you look into another person's eyes, your adaptive oscillators — which are part of the prefrontal vortex, which is the orbital frontal complex — these lock between you and your partner and it forms this loop," Stratford said. "The greater the feeling here, the stronger the feeling of love. From there, these adaptive oscillators just pull you together and guide the two mouths together and you kiss. So there are chemicals in everything."

See? Science.

We all know that our memories can definitely be affected over time, but apparently, you may also remember meeting a longtime partner a little differently if you want to believe that you were just as in love with them as ever from the very first day. According to Psychology Today, a 2017 study by researchers at the University of Groningen revealed that love at first sight may actually be a "positive illusion" — meaning that you and your partner may think you fell in love immediately because of the way you feel about each other months or years later.

The study also revealed that most people who experienced love at first sight ended up in a long term relationship with that person, which is what lead the researchers to believe that love at first sight is a memory bias and not its own unique type of love, as many people might think.

Another fun fact from this study? Talking about your first meeting with your partner and how you both felt at the time can actually make you feel more connected and in love.

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists discovered that people can decide almost immediately if they find someone attractive, and the phenomenon of love at first sight cannot happen without that initial attraction. Within seconds (or even less), your brain knows if it's interested in who it's looking at, and this can often be what leads to a lasting relationship.

What you might think of as love at first sight might actually be attraction at first sight, but don't feel bad — that's important, too. That instant attraction might be what helps you realize you want to get to know someone better, and who knows? That could be the person you end up spending the rest of your life with.

First impressions are important, but a good one doesn't guarantee that your relationship is meant to be. Clinical psychologist Dr. Salida Afridi told The National that what makes a bond between two people last requires a much deeper connection.

"It's about being invested in another person's emotional and spiritual growth," Dr. Afridi said. "There are deeper issues than just beauty and attraction at play. So while it's possible to fall for someone initially on a superficial level, you have to work to keep the relationship alive."

In other words? Don't sweat it if you didn't experience love at first sight with the person you're dating. What really matters is everything that happens in your relationship after that first meeting — and building a shared experiences and memories with them that could end up lasting a lifetime.