Continuing our exploration of the The Meaning of Existence, today we are going to look at Love.

Now, love is a many splendored thing. It also stinks. Love hurts, yet love is the leap that won't be denied. Love is never having to say you're sorry. Or horny. Love is like a butterfly - a rare and gentle thing.

That will do it on the cliches I think.

What is love really?.

Well, love between two people is the result of the way phenylethylamine (PEA) behaves in the body. Don't worry, I'm not going to go into a big techy spiel about this. Suffice to say that your body has a 'reaction' to another person which we tag as 'Love'.

But what causes our bodies to react this way in the first place?

The release of certain types of pheromones by our future mate are strongly indicated.

But generally speaking, they are not releasing these indescriminately, so what cause them to want to release the pheromones in the first place? Why do they want you to want them?

Visual cues can be part of it, certainly. The 'target' may exhibit physical qualities that the subject identifies with Need Fulfillment.

Aural cues are also important. If they 'sound' like a good mate, by what they say or how they say it, this can trigger the release of the 'come get me' scent also.

But why all this hooking up in the first place? Is it just to make babies?

Not entirely. Sex can do that. You don't need Love for that.

Love is important because it makes us care about something other than ourselves. As physical beings, we are not going to do that without help, and it is very important that we do, because the race is more important than the individual.

If we care about other people, we are less likely to screw them over.

Many people believe that Love comes from our Higher Self - that it is part of our Spiritual Nature.

That is only partly accurate.

Yes, we can say that Love is a quality that is good for us Spiritually, but Love itself is a physical phenomena (back to the PEA and pheromones again). It is a way to physically manifest the unity that exists amongst all of us on a spiritual level.

Honor love, glorify it by all means. But realize that there is a reason why most marriage vows include the phrase 'till death do us part'.

Love is a physical phenomena - not a spiritual one. It has a spiritual purpose, in that it serves as a vehicle to help you be a good , honest and caring person. But it is not a property of your higher self, which would find the love we experience here too restricting - too small. Love implies 'preferential treatment' - something we have no use for on a 'spiritual level.'

There are of course other types of love. Love for one's child, one's country, or one's horse (although that one can go a bit far from time to time, judging by some of the images on kazaa lately).

But, at the very root of all of these, you will find motivated self interest - not neccesarily a bad thing for anyone involved. But love between two people who have perhaps no other connection to one another is a different thing. It is a manifestation of the divinity within us all.

So get out there and love another. And have a good time doing it.