Hi, Solitaire! Aren't dogs amazing and wonderful? There seem to be people who "get" animals and people who don't. It's sad.

Hi, Metowest, I think it makes sense. Not sure what you are asking, but thanks for stopping by and adding to the conversation.

Hi, Emily. I hate to tell you this, but oxytocin will not work as a pheromone. Really substantial amounts need to be inhaled to have any effect. Did you buy pure oxytocin from a laboratory supplier? Or is the powder already mixed with other things? If it's pure oxytocin, you want to mix with distilled water to make a mixture that's around 400 IU -- and then inhale it. (You may need someone who knows chemistry to help you get the proportion right.) In general, pure oxytocin degrades very rapidly when it's mixed with water. So only mix up as much as you need. If you just want to have fun with it and spray it on your skin, I would mix it with a cologne or massage oil. Again, only mix enough for one application. Who knows? It could work.

John, that is so interesting -- and wonderful. I can see how this would make sense: Because the body and emotions are one thing, stimulating the body to release oxytocin could also influence the social and mood areas of the brain. I am so glad that you found this natural and healthful way to continue on your path of change. Regarding the effects fading away, I would say that it's possible that experiencing massage will help retrain your brain's oxytocin response, and you could continue to experience more emotional harmony and connection. In any case, massage is so good for us that I encourage you to keep going with it. Thank you for sharing your story. best, Susan

TypePad HTML Email This is a very deep and beautiful insight! I think you are exactly right. Oxytocin acts in the body to encourage relaxation and healing while counteracting stress. At the same time, it acts in the brain to encourage feelings of trust and connection. So it makes perfect sense to me that while I am receiving caring touch, I’m also experiencing the other persons emotional state. And, the oxytocin response seems to be a positive feedback loop: If I feel trust, I release more oxytocin, which causes my oxytocin receptors to be more sensitive.BTW, I cant find the reference, and maybe this hasnt been published, but Paul Zak, the researcher who pioneered human oxytocin studies, told me that when they tested people giving and receiving chair massage, the people giving massage had higher oxytocin levels than those receiving. So that gives more credence to your positive energy/oxytocin response theory.

K, I think you are exactly right. Oxytocin may take the edge of fear and anxiety, but it's really unlikely that it would make us blind to danger signals. What you describe is how oxytocin seems to work: It acts as a signal to the social part of the brain that someone else matches the model we've learned for decency and caring. So, it lets us open up a little and give off a signal that we also are decent and caring. It's a series of steps; if both people keep responding with signals that they're trustworthy, you can keep approaching. It's also possible that elevated oxytocin, because it increases empathy, might actually make it easier to spot someone who is not decent and trustworthy.