Limerence

Limerence is the mental state of being madly in love or intensely infatuated when reciprocation of the feeling is uncertain. This state is characterized by intrusive thoughts and idealization of the loved one (also called "crystallization"), typically with a desire for reciprocation to form a relationship. This is accompanied by feelings of ecstasy or despair, depending on whether one's feelings seem to be reciprocated or not. Research on the biology of romantic love indicates that the early stage of intense romantic love (also called passionate love) resembles addiction.

Psychologist Dorothy Tennov coined the term "limerence" as an alteration of the word "amorance" without other etymologies. The concept grew out of her work in the 1960s, when she interviewed over 500 people on the topic of love. In her book Love and Limerence, she writes that "to be in a state of limerence is to feel what is usually termed 'being in love.'" She coined the term to disambiguate the state from other less-overwhelming emotions, and to avoid the implication that people who don't experience it are incapable of love.

According to Tennov and others, limerence can be considered romantic love, falling in love, love madness, intense infatuation, passionate love with obsessive elements or lovesickness. Limerence is also sometimes compared and contrasted with a crush, with limerence being much more intense, impacting daily life and functioning more.

Love and Limerence has been called the seminal work on romantic love, with Tennov's survey results and the various personal accounts recounted in the book largely marking the start of data collection on the phenomenon.

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