Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor

universally good to have religious beliefs or community because we can find ourselves at odds suddenly with what we believed before. But I think about it in one other way as well. So, you know, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool neuroscientist. I think that when I fall head over heels for this person, that that becomes encoded in my neurons, I also think that that's proof that they are everlasting.

They are physiologically my... There is an epigenetic change that we know happens when prairie voles, those little rodents I was talking about, in the 24 hours after they mate for life. There's epigenetic changes. The proteins around the genes in that nucleus accumbens region of the brain change. Because they fell in love. Not because they fell in love with just anyone.

They are physiologically my... There is an epigenetic change that we know happens when prairie voles, those little rodents I was talking about, in the 24 hours after they mate for life. There's epigenetic changes. The proteins around the genes in that nucleus accumbens region of the brain change. Because they fell in love. Not because they fell in love with just anyone.

They are physiologically my... There is an epigenetic change that we know happens when prairie voles, those little rodents I was talking about, in the 24 hours after they mate for life. There's epigenetic changes. The proteins around the genes in that nucleus accumbens region of the brain change. Because they fell in love. Not because they fell in love with just anyone.

They fell in love with this vole and they will return to this vole and spend the majority of their time with this vole for the rest of their life. I cannot think of proof of something beyond the ordinary more than the idea that now two have literally become one. that literally those neurons will forever be embedded with the other. So for me, I don't need it to be organized religion.

They fell in love with this vole and they will return to this vole and spend the majority of their time with this vole for the rest of their life. I cannot think of proof of something beyond the ordinary more than the idea that now two have literally become one. that literally those neurons will forever be embedded with the other. So for me, I don't need it to be organized religion.

They fell in love with this vole and they will return to this vole and spend the majority of their time with this vole for the rest of their life. I cannot think of proof of something beyond the ordinary more than the idea that now two have literally become one. that literally those neurons will forever be embedded with the other. So for me, I don't need it to be organized religion.

I am perfectly happy to see the beauty and transcendence in the neural understanding of what happens in attachment and then how that has to change during grieving.

I am perfectly happy to see the beauty and transcendence in the neural understanding of what happens in attachment and then how that has to change during grieving.

I am perfectly happy to see the beauty and transcendence in the neural understanding of what happens in attachment and then how that has to change during grieving.

I think the research that speaks to this that I stick with, this is an older study now, but has always been remarkable to me. And the reason that it is remarkable is it is a truly prospective bereavement study, which is incredibly rare. So what that means, this was called the Changing Lives of Older Couples Study. It was done in Michigan, funded by NIH, and it was a 10-year study.

I think the research that speaks to this that I stick with, this is an older study now, but has always been remarkable to me. And the reason that it is remarkable is it is a truly prospective bereavement study, which is incredibly rare. So what that means, this was called the Changing Lives of Older Couples Study. It was done in Michigan, funded by NIH, and it was a 10-year study.

I think the research that speaks to this that I stick with, this is an older study now, but has always been remarkable to me. And the reason that it is remarkable is it is a truly prospective bereavement study, which is incredibly rare. So what that means, this was called the Changing Lives of Older Couples Study. It was done in Michigan, funded by NIH, and it was a 10-year study.

So to be accepted into the study, They looked for couples where one of the members of the couple was over 65. That was the entry criteria. You're a couple. One of you is over 65. They interviewed both members of the couple about a host of different things. And then they followed the couples for 10 years. And when one of them died... They went back and re-interviewed the surviving spouse.

So to be accepted into the study, They looked for couples where one of the members of the couple was over 65. That was the entry criteria. You're a couple. One of you is over 65. They interviewed both members of the couple about a host of different things. And then they followed the couples for 10 years. And when one of them died... They went back and re-interviewed the surviving spouse.

So to be accepted into the study, They looked for couples where one of the members of the couple was over 65. That was the entry criteria. You're a couple. One of you is over 65. They interviewed both members of the couple about a host of different things. And then they followed the couples for 10 years. And when one of them died... They went back and re-interviewed the surviving spouse.

So what it means is usually when we're doing grief-related studies, we're recruiting participants into the study after the death has happened or maybe shortly. shortly before the death happens. But in those cases, we know that there's going to be a death, right? So this was how are people just functioning in their life and then later what happens.

So what it means is usually when we're doing grief-related studies, we're recruiting participants into the study after the death has happened or maybe shortly. shortly before the death happens. But in those cases, we know that there's going to be a death, right? So this was how are people just functioning in their life and then later what happens.

So what it means is usually when we're doing grief-related studies, we're recruiting participants into the study after the death has happened or maybe shortly. shortly before the death happens. But in those cases, we know that there's going to be a death, right? So this was how are people just functioning in their life and then later what happens.

And there was a natural control sample where they re-interviewed couples where both remained alive during that time. All of this is to say, I mean, it's a magnificent, I don't think it will ever be funded again because it was such a large and long study.