Pretty much proving anyone who has ever been dumped right, researchers say in a new study that breakups cause physical pain, and the brain does not firmly distinguish between physical pain and intense emotional pain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers found that the same brain networks that are activated when you’ve been burned by hot coffee also light up when thinking about a lover who has rejected you. Lead researcher Ethan Kross stressed this study is “very much the first step,” but said the results are “exciting” because it helps link how emotional experiences are tied to the body.
