Overview
This lecture explains the neurobiology of grief, exploring how our brains process attachment, loss, and adaptation to the absence of loved ones.
The Brain's Representation of Absence
- The brain creates a mental map or "virtual reality" of expected surroundings and relationships.
- Absence is felt because our expectations (mental map) clash with the new reality.
- Grieving involves learning to reconcile the difference between expectation and reality.
Neurobiology of Grief and Attachment
- Grieving is prolonged because our brain maintains two conflicting streams: knowing the person is gone, and feeling they're still present.
- The hippocampus handles memories of loss, while attachment systems foster enduring bonds.
- Attachment bonds are formed with a belief in everlasting presence, which persists after the loss.
Animal Studies and Human Grief
- Prairie voles, which mate for life, show brain changes when bonded or separated.
- Epigenetic changes in the nucleus accumbens region support long-term bonds.
- Separation decreases oxytocin (bonding hormone) activity in the nucleus accumbens.
- In humans, yearning for a lost loved one correlates with activation in the nucleus accumbens.
Grief as Learning and Adaptation
- The brain is generally good at learning absence but struggles when strong attachments are involved.
- Grieving people often feel as if the lost loved one is still present due to slow adaptation.
- Predicting absence rather than presence requires time and repeated experiences.
Continuing Bonds and Moving Forward
- Continuing bonds: ongoing, felt connection with the deceased through memory, conversation, or meaningful events.
- Attachment systems allow for continued connection with those lost and for forming new bonds.
- The brain helps restore a sense of meaning and possibility in life after loss.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Virtual Reality (of the Brain) — The brain’s internal map of expected surroundings and people.
- Attachment Neurobiology — Brain systems that create and maintain emotional bonds.
- Nucleus Accumbens — Brain region involved in bonding and grief responses.
- Oxytocin — Hormone linked to bonding and attachment.
- Epigenetic Change — Long-lasting modifications in gene expression due to bonding experiences.
- Continuing Bonds — Ongoing sense of connection to a deceased loved one.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on your own experiences of loss and grief as part of learning.
- Engage in conversations about grief to better understand and normalize the experience.