Selfless love turns off brain's reward area

Researchers have found a new variety of love, one which is selfless, and turns off that area of reward.

Judson Brewer, adjunct professor of psychiatry at Yale now at the University of Massachusetts told the Yale News, along with Kathleen Garrison, postdoctoral researcher in Yale's Department of Psychiatry, explained how the reward center of the brain could be turned off when a meditator silently repeat sayings, CBS News reported.

These practices are common in Buddhism, and are now being used frequently in the Western world in certain programs to help reduce stress.

Brewer said that the intent of this practice is to specifically foster selfless love - just putting it out there and not looking for or wanting anything in return.

He said that if one's wondering where the reward is in being selfless, just reflect on how it feels when they see people out there helping others, or even when they hold the door for somebody the next time they are at Starbucks.

The study has been published online in the journal Brain and Behavior.