True Spiritual Love versus bio-Chemical “love”

To will good to someone. Also to please someone, either by sharing with that person what one possesses or by doing what someone wants. Basically, there are two kinds of love. The love of concupiscence, or self-interested love, means that another is loved for one’s own sake as something useful or pleasant to the one who loves. The love of friendship means selfless love of another for that person's own sake, for his or her good, to please him or her; it is the love of benevolence.[1]

Pity at another person’s sorrow or misfortune, with the desire to alleviate or, on occasion, even to suffer in the other’s stead.[2]

I, _____, take you, _____, for my lawful wife/husband spouse, to have and to hold from this day forward for as long as you make me feel good, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, and in full employment, until death do us part someone else who is more lustfully desirous makes me feel even better than you do. I will love and honor you all the many days of my life.

1) For blood by itself [Note: all hormones are delivered throughout the body via the bloodstream] carries shameful crimes and turbulent injustice, and runs through uncertain paths, in a twisted sweetness[emphasis added] that leads to burning lust and frightful vices, which choke innocence, increasing in appetite by what they feed on; all this by the temptation of that seducer the Devil.[4]

2) My Son was miraculously born from the most pure Virgin, whose body was untouched and never burned in the sweetness[emphasis added] of lust, for the virginal vessel in which I willed My Only-Begotten to be incarnate was the purest possible.[5]

3) And falling thus from disobedience into death, when they [Adam and Eve] knew they could sin, they discovered sin’s sweetness[emphasis added]. And in this way, turning My rightful institution into sinful lust, although they should have known that the commotion in their veins[emphasis added] was not for the sweetness[emphasis added] of sin but for the love of children, by the Devil’s suggestion they changed it to lechery; and, losing the innocence of the act of begetting, they yielded it to sin.[6]

4) Full of sorrow, I will answer, “Ach miserable me! for harmful poisons[all emphasis added] were instilled into me through Adam, when he disobeyed God and was cast out into the world and joined his tabernacle [i.e., human body] to carnal things. For in the taste of the fruit he knew by disobedience, a harmful sweetness poured itself into his blood and flesh, producing the corruption of vice.”[7]

5) [The sinful unchaste priest] has imitated the Devil in hiding poison under honey[emphasis added].[8]

Dopamine:

Drives desire, pursuit, and the euphoric “high” of early love; it activates the brain’s reward circuit similarly to certain drugs.[9] The leading contributor to sinful addictions can be attributed to dopamine.[10]

Addiction affects more than one pathway. The main reward circuit is the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, but chronic addiction also involves the dorsal striatum for habits, the extended amygdala for stress and withdrawal, and the prefrontal cortex for self-control and judgment.[11]

Repeated dopamine surges alter synaptic plasticity, gene expression, and cell signaling, which helps turn a voluntary action into a compulsive one. Over time, the brain shifts from seeking pleasure to avoiding discomfort and craving relief.[12]

Addiction vulnerability is partly inherited, with studies cited in the sources estimating a substantial genetic contribution. Genes affecting dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and opioid signaling can influence how strongly a person’s brain responds to reward and stress.[13]

Norepinephrine:

Contributes to arousal, energy, racing heart, and heightened memory for the beloved.

Serotonin:

Often drops in early infatuation, which is linked to obsessive, intrusive thoughts about the partner.[14]

Oxytocin:

The “bonding” or “cuddle” hormone; released during touch, sex, and close contact, it deepens attachment, trust, and feelings of security.[15]

Vasopressin:

Works alongside oxytocin, especially in long-term pair-bonding and mate-guarding behaviors.[16]

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