Limerence (ou limerância) é um estado cognitivo e emocional involuntário, no qual uma pessoa sente um intenso desejo romântico para com outra pessoa (limerent object). O termo foi cunhado em 1977 pela psicóloga norte-americana Dorothy Tennov.
O termo seria o equivalente na linguagem cotidiana ao "ter uma queda por alguém", embora Limerence possa durar meses, anos, ou até mesmo pelo resto da vida.
Usado para diferenciar do sentimento de amor.[1] Sua definição é semelhante a de paixão.
Pode variar de intensa alegria ou desespero extremo, dependendo da reciprocidade do objeto de Limerence (limerent object). Seus traços chaves o pensamento obsessivo sobre o objeto de limerence, a avaliação bastante positiva de seus atributos, dependência emocional e desejo por reciprocidade.
O conceito de limerância foi originado na pesquisa de Dorothy Tennov nos anos 60. Entrevistando mais de 500 pessoas dentro do assunto amor. O termo foi cunhado em 1977, publicado no livro "Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love" no ano de 1979. Ela se propõe a estudar mais a fundo as características desse estado e as diferenças culturais entre eles.
Socialmente tem efeitos mais dramáticos no casamento e no suicídio romântico. Varia pouco de acordo com gênero, raça, idade, classe social porém tem diferenças significativas dependendo da cultura.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limerence is a cognitive and emotional state of being emotionally attached or even obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings, but not primarily for a sexual relationship (although it can further intensify the situation). The term was coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe a near-obsessive form of romantic love.[1] Limerence is sometimes also interpreted as infatuation, or is colloquially known as a crush, but in reality it is something much different. In common speech, infatuation includes aspects of immaturity and extrapolation from insufficient information, and is usually short-lived.
The concept is an attempt at a scientific study into the nature of romantic love. Limerence can often be what is meant when one expresses having intense feelings of attachment and preoccupations with the love object. It can be experienced as intense joy or as extreme despair, depending on whether the feelings are reciprocated.
According to Tennov, there are at least two types of love: a) limerence, which she describes as (inter alia) "loving attachment"; and b) "loving affection," the bond that exists between an individual and his or her parents and children.[2]
Limerence is characterized by intrusive thinking and pronounced sensitivity to external events that reflect the disposition of the limerent object towards the individual. Basically, it is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love, even to the point of addictive-type behavior. Usually, one is inspired with an intense passion or admiration for someone. Limerence can be difficult to understand for those who have never experienced it, and it is thus often dismissed by nonlimerents as ridiculous fantasy or a construct of romantic fiction.[3]
Origins
The concept of limerence first originated in Tennov's research in the mid-1960s. She interviewed over 500 people on the topic of love. Tennov coined the term "limerence" in 1977, publishing it in her 1979 book "Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love".
Tennov differentiates between limerence and other emotions by asserting that love involves concern for the other person's welfare and feeling. While limerence does not require it, those concerns may certainly be incorporated.
Affection and fondness exist only as a disposition towards another person, irrespective of whether those feelings are reciprocated, whereas limerence deeply desires return, but it remains unaltered whether it's returned or not. Physical contact with the object is neither essential nor sufficient to an individual experiencing limerence, unlike one experiencing sexual attraction.
A "crush" is often used to associate with children or teenagers who have a physical attraction.
Components
Limerence involves intrusive thinking about the limerent object.[3] Other characteristics include acute longing for reciprocation, fear of rejection, and unsettling shyness in the limerent object's presence. In cases of unrequited limerence, transient relief may be found by vividly imagining reciprocation from the limerent object.
Feelings of limerence can be intensified through adversity, obstacles, or distance. A limerent person may have acute sensitivity to any act, thought, or condition that can be interpreted favorably. This may include a tendency to devise, fabricate, or invent "reasonable" explanations for why neutral actions are a sign of hidden passion in the limerent object.
A person experiencing limerence has a general intensity of feeling that leaves other concerns in the background. In their thoughts, a limerent person tends to emphasize what is admirable in the limerent object and to avoid any negative or problematic attributes.
Intrusive thinking
During the height of limerence, thoughts of the limerent object (or person) are at once persistent, involuntary and intrusive. Limerence is first and foremost a condition of cognitive obsession. All events, associations, stimuli, and experiences return thoughts to the limerent object with unnerving consistency.
The constant thoughts about the limerent object define all other experiences. If a certain thought has no previous connection with the limerent object, immediately one is made. Limerent fantasy is unsatisfactory unless rooted in reality,[3] because the fantasizer may want the fantasy to seem realistic and somewhat possible.
Fantasies that are concerned with far-fetched ideas are usually dropped by the fantasizer.[3] Sometimes it is retrospective; actual events are replayed from memory with great vividness. This form predominates when what is viewed as evidence of possible reciprocation can be re-experienced (a kind of selective or revisionist history).
Otherwise, the long fantasy is anticipatory; it begins in the everyday world and climaxes at the attainment of the limerent goal. A limerent fantasy can also involve an unusual, often tragic, event.
The long fantasies form bridges between the limerent's ordinary life and that intensely desired ecstatic moment. The duration and complexity of a fantasy depend on the availability of time and freedom from distractions. The bliss of the imagined moment of consummation is greater when events imagined to precede it are possible.
In fact they often represent grave departures from the probable. Not always is it entirely pleasant, and when rejection seems likely the thoughts focus on despair, sometimes to the point of suicide. The pleasantness or unpleasantness of the state seems almost unrelated to the intensity of the reaction.
Although the direction of feeling, i.e. happy versus unhappy, shifts rapidly, the intensity of intrusive and involuntary thinking alters less rapidly, and alters only in response to an accumulation of experiences with the particular limerent object.
Fantasies are occasionally dreamed by the one experiencing limerence. Dreams give out strong emotion and happiness when experienced, but often end with despair when the subject awakens. Dreams can reawaken strong feelings toward the limerent object after the feelings have declined.
Fear of rejection
Along with the emphasis on positive qualities perceived in the limerent object, and preoccupation with the hope for return of feelings, there is a fear that limerence will be met by the very opposite of reciprocation: rejection. Considerable self-doubt and uncertainty is experienced and it causes pain, but also enhances desire to a certain extent.
However in most cases, this is what helps to eventually destroy the limerence if a suitably long period of time has passed without reciprocation.
Limerent fear of rejection is usually confined to shyness in the presence of the limerent object, but it can also spread to situations involving other potential limerent objects, though generally it does not affect other spheres of life.
Although it appears that limerence blossoms under some forms of adversity, extreme caution and shyness may prevent a relationship from occurring, even when both parties are interested. This results from a fear of exposing one's undesirable characteristics to the limerent object.
Hope
Limerence develops and is sustained when there is a certain balance of hope and uncertainty. The base for limerent hope is not in objective reality but reality as it is perceived. The inclination is to sift through nuances of speech and subtleties of behavior for evidence of limerent hope. "Little things" are noticed and endlessly analyzed for meaning.
The belief that the limerent object does not and will not reciprocate can only come about with great difficulty. Limerence can be carried quite far before acknowledgment of rejection is genuine, especially if it has not been addressed openly by the object of limerence.
Excessive concern over trivia may not be entirely unfounded. Body language can indicate a return of feeling. What the limerent object said and did is recalled with vividness. Alternative meanings of those behaviors recalled are searched out.
Each word and gesture is permanently available for review, especially those interpreted as evidence in favor of "return of feeling." When objects, people, places or situations are encountered with the limerent object, they are vividly remembered, especially if the limerent object 'interacted' with them in some way.
Physical effects
The physiological correlations of limerence are heart palpitations, trembling, pallor, flushing, pupil dilation and general weakness. Awkwardness, stuttering, shyness, confusion predominate at the behavioral level, dizziness, Syncope (Fainting/Passing out), Illness (Sickness, dizziness, headaches, etc.), and loss of appetite.
There is apprehension, nervousness, and anxiety due to terrible worry that any action may bring about disaster. Many of the commonly associated physiological reactions are the result of the limerent fear. Some people however may find that these effects come most strongly either immediately at or some time after contact with the object of limerence, and this is accompanied with an acute feeling of ecstasy or despair, depending on the turn of events beforehand.
The super-sensitivity that is heightened by fear of rejection can get in the way of interpreting the limerent object's body language and lead to inaction and wasted opportunities. Body signals may be emitted that confuse and interfere with attaining the limerent object.
A condition of sustained alertness, a heightening of awareness and an enormous fund of energy to deploy in pursuit of the limerent aim is developed. The sensation of limerence is felt in the midpoint of the chest, bottom of the throat, guts, or in some cases in the abdominal region.[3] This can be interpreted as ecstasy at times of mutuality, but its presence is most noticeable during despair at times of rejection.
Fainting
Syncope, or "fainting", very rarely happens, but can take place when the person is deeply in love with the limerent object[citation needed], physically, and personality-wise, and is usually only for small periods, 1–5 seconds. It is a sign of true obsession for the limerent object, reaching the peak of limerence (very rarely happens)[citation needed] and is often accompanied by non-stop thinking of the limerent object for long periods of time.
Sexuality
Awareness of physical attraction plays a key role in the development of limerence[citation needed], but is not enough to satisfy the limerent desire, and is almost never the main focus—instead, the limerent focuses on what could be defined as the "beneficial attributes".
Limerence can be intensified after a sexual relationship has begun, and with more intense limerence there is greater desire for sexual contact. However, while sexual surrender once indicated the end of uncertainty in the limerent object, in modern times this is not necessarily the case.
Sexual fantasies are distinct from limerent ones. Limerent fantasy is rooted in reality and is intrusive rather than voluntary. Sexual fantasies are under more or less voluntary control and may also involve strangers, imaginary individuals, and situations that could not take place. Limerence elevates body temperature and increases relaxation, a sensation of viewing the world with rose-tinted glasses, becoming more receptive to sexuality, and daydreaming about how good a lover your co-worker or a stranger on the bus might be.
People can become aroused by the thought of sexual partners, acts, and situations that are not truly desired, whereas every detail of the limerent fantasy is passionately desired actually to take place. Limerence sometimes increases sexual interest in other partners when the limerent object is unreceptive or unavailable, such as when married people find sex with their spouses more pleasurable when they become limerent over someone else.
Limerent reaction
The limerent reaction is a composite reaction; that is, it actually describes a unique series of reactions. These reactions occur only where misperceptions meet adversity in the context of a romance[citation needed]. Perhaps because of this unique specificity, limerent reactions can be uniquely quantified and predicted according to the schema described below.
Involvement increases if obstacles are externally imposed or if the limerent object’s feelings are doubted. Only if the limerent object were to be revealed as highly undesirable might limerence subside. The presence of some degree of doubt causes the intensity of the feelings to rise further. The stage is reached at which the reaction is virtually impossible to dislodge.
This adversity may be superficial or deep, internal or external, so that an individual may generate deep adversity where none exists. Also "romance," as it were, need not be present in any genuine way for a limerent reaction to proceed.
The course of limerence results in a more intrusive thinking pattern. This thinking pattern is an expectant and often joyous period with the initial focusing on the limerent object’s admirable qualities; crystallization. Then, under appropriate conditions of hope and uncertainty, the limerence intensifies further.
With evidence of reciprocation (real or imagined) from the limerent object, a state of extreme pleasure, even euphoria, is enjoyed. Thoughts are mainly occupied with considering and reconsidering what is attractive in the limerent object, replaying whatever events may have thus far transpired with the limerent object, and appreciating personal qualities perceived as possibly having sparked interest in the limerent object.
At peak crystallization, almost all waking thoughts revolve around the limerent object. After this peak, the feelings eventually decline.
Fantasies are preferred to virtually any other activity with the exception of activities that are believed to help obtain the limerent object, and activities that involve actually being in the presence of the limerent object. The motivation to attain a "relationship" continues to intensify so long as a proper mix of hope and uncertainty exist.
Tennov estimates, based on both questionnaire and interview data, that the average limerent reaction duration, from the moment of initiation until a feeling of neutrality is reached, is approximately three years. The extremes may be as brief as a few weeks or as long as several decades. When limerence is brief, maximum intensity may not have been attained.
Limerence generally lasts between 18 months and three years, but further studies on unrequited limerence have suggested longer durations.
Bond varieties
Once the limerent reaction has initiated, one of three varieties of bonds may form, defined over a set duration of time, in relation to the experience or non-experience of limerence. The constitution of these bonds may vary over the course of the relationship, in ways that may either increase or decrease the intensity of the limerence.
The basis and interesting characteristic of this delineation made by Tennov, is that based on her research and interviews with people, all human bonded relationships can be divided into three varieties being defined by the amount of limerence or non-limerence each partner contributes to the relationship.
With an affectional bond, neither partner is limerent. With a Limerent-Nonlimerent bond, one partner is limerent. In a Limerent-Limerent bond, both partners are limerent.
Affectional bonding characterize those affectionate sexual relationships where neither partner is limerent; couples tend to be in love, but do not report continuous and unwanted intrusive thinking, feeling intense need for exclusivity, or define their goals in terms of reciprocity. These types of bonded couples tend to emphasize compatibility of interests, mutual preferences in leisure activities, ability to work together, and in some cases a degree of relative contentment.
The bulk of relationships, however, according to Tennov, are those between a limerent person and a nonlimerent other, i.e. limerent-nonlimerent bonding. These bonds are characterized by unequal reciprocation.
Lastly, those relationship bonds in which there exists mutual reciprocation are defined as limerent-limerent bondings. Tennov argues since limerence itself is an "unstable state" that mutually limerent bonds would be expected to be short-lived; mixed relationships probably last longer than limerent-limerent relationships; and affectional bondings tend to be characterized as "old marrieds" whose interactions are typically both stable and mutually gratifying.
Impact
Tennov's research has been continued by Albert Wakin, who knew Tennov at the University of Bridgeport but didn't assist in her research, and Duyen Vo, a graduate student of Southern Connecticut State University.[4] Their goal is to refine the term so that it refers mostly to the negative pathological aspects of Limerence. The term "limerence" has been invoked in many popular media, including self-help books, popular magazines, and websites.
Still, according to a paper by Wakin and Vo, "In spite of the public’s exposure to limerence, the professional community, particularly clinical, is largely unaware of the concept." [5] In 2008, they presented their updated research to the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Wakin and Vo reported that more research must be gathered before the condition is suited for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).[4]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limerencia (anglicismo proveniente de limerence) es el nombre propuesto por la psicóloga Dorothy Tennov para un fenómeno emocional cognitivo involuntario producido en ciertas personas y vinculado al enamoramiento. Fue descubierto por Tennov en un intento de estudiar científicamente la naturaleza del amor romántico a mediados de la decada de 1960. El nombre fue acuñado en 1979 en su libro "Love and Limerence: the experience of being in love". No tiene ninguna etimología concreta y fue elegido por su sonoridad.[1]
La limerencia puede en algunos casos ser exactamente lo que uno trata de expresar cuando dice que está "locamente enamorado" (en inglés "having a crush"), aunque este estado a diferencia de un enamoramiento a primera vista puede durar meses, años e incluso toda la vida. Se caracteriza por una gran cantidad de pensamiento intrusivo y pronunciada sensibilidad a eventos externos que pudieran reflejar la disposición del objeto limerente hacia el individuo. Puede ser experimentada como intensa alegría o como extrema desesperación, pudiendo esto variar dependiendo de la situación respecto de la otra persona.
Origen
El concepto de limerencia se originó en la investigación de Tennov a mediados de los años 1960. Ella hizo un experimento donde entrevistó sobre el tópico del amor a alrededor de quinientas personas. Tennov acuñó el término "limerencia" en 1977, publicándolo en 1979 en su libro Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love ("Amor y limerencia: la experiencia de estar enamorado").
Causas
Si bien es algo involuntario, en el ámbito de la psicología se han estudiado distintas causas para este fenómeno. La más aceptada indica que existen 2 factores que desencadenan la limerencia:
- Amor, ya sea producto de un fuerte vínculo de amistad, o por un enamoramiento previo hacia la persona.
- Obsesión. No existen causas claras. Este factor se ha tratado muchas veces como involuntario. Se dice que la obsesión por la persona puede ser causada por una constante experiencia positiva al estar con la persona amada o por un distanciamiento permanente de ésta. Esto es también muchas veces causado por una tendencia personal del individuo a obsesionarse por sus anhelos más profundos.
Vinculación al amor y diferenciación de otras emociones
Tennov lo vincula al amor y lo diferencia de otras emociones aseverando que:
- El amor que desencadena la limerencia en una persona involucra preocupación por el bienestar y los sentimientos del otro, en cuyos casos puede ser excesivo, llegando en algunos casos a producir síndrome de déficit de atención y un desorden en su escala de prioridades.
- El afecto y el cariño producidos en la limerencia existen como una disposición permanente hacia otra persona, pero en contraste con estos, no demanda que esos sentimientos sean recíprocos.
- El sexo o el contacto físico con el objeto limerente no es ni necesario, ni esencial, ni suficiente para un individuo que experimenta limerencia, al contrario de otro que experimenta atracción sexual.
- La emoción característica del sentimiento producido en la limerencia crece con la comunicación abierta y el conocimiento mutuo, y es vista como una experiencia interpersonal positiva. Se caracteriza por su intensidad, la cual llega a producir incertidumbre y ansiedad en el individuo.
Efectos y componentes psicológicos
Tennov establece una serie de criterios para determinar el estado de limerencia:[1]
- Pensamientos intrusivos respecto a todo lo relacionado con la persona deseada.
- Pronunciado y a veces hasta extremo deseo por el bienestar de la persona amada, y en menor manera, de reciprocidad.
- Una notable habilidad para enfatizar lo que es verdaderamente admirable en la persona amada y evitar pensar en su lado negativo, o interpretarlo como algo positivo.
- La limerencia frecuentemente puede durar años o décadas, aunque se puede actuar limerentemente con sólo una persona a la vez.
Otros criterios podrían ser:
- Preocupación excesiva por representar ser alguien en todos los aspectos acorde a los gustos de la persona amada.
- Alivio temporal y fugaz a través de fantasías, sueños o pensamientos constantes que involucren a la persona amada, como también en experiencias como la conversación o la simple observación de esta.
- Timidez infundada y dificultad para relacionar ideas en presencia de la persona deseada.
- Sentimiento intensificado a través de la adversidad, distanciamiento o incomunicación.
- Miedo al rechazo y a la posibilidad de no ser correspondido, lo que produce que el individuo oculte su sentimiento y haga parecer como normales ciertas actitudes producidas por la limerencia.
- Un sentimiento tan intenso y profundo que pone cualquier otra preocupación a un lado.
- Expresividad fomentada debido al deseo de desahogo del individo producido por este sentimiento (se dice que grandes escritores como Pablo Neruda experimentaron limerencia en algún momento de sus vidas).
- Muestras de afecto poco comunes, que en ciertos casos pueden ser extremas.
- Magnificación de la percepción física de la belleza de la persona amada.
Efectos y componentes físicos
- Palpitaciones aceleradas
- Temblores repentinos
- Dilatación de pupilas
- Sudoración inconstante
- Enrojecimiento de la cara
- Desórdenes del apetito
- Tartamudez menor
- Nerviosismo permanente
Fonte:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário