Feeling fascinated by something or someone means feeling alive, inspired, amazed and, of course, happy. There are few emotions with an impact on the brain similar to that of charm.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Charm is the most sought after emotion by neuromarketing experts. But also by any artist, director or creator of content, since awakening this sensation in the viewer's brain means succeeding in one's intent. Because a stimulus that fascinates is hardly forgotten, its psychological imprint tends to last and generate positive emotions over time.
Let's now answer a simple question: when was the last time we felt this feeling? It may have been after seeing a work of art, maybe a movie. We may have felt fascinated by a landscape, by a piece of music, by the latest technological innovation or, why not, by a person. Few ideas orchestrated by the brain are this pleasant. But how does charm affect the brain? Let's find out in this article.
Positive emotions
Charm is part of what we tend to categorize as "positive emotions", but in reality it is capable of provoking in us an infinite series of sensations, feelings and thoughts. When we are fascinated, we feel happy, cheerful, inspired, interested, amazed and sometimes even in love.
As we can deduce, it is an absolutely overwhelming psychophysiological state, to the point that sometimes we try to exploit this emotion to influence others. Being able to fascinate a certain group of people means not only attracting their attention, but even earning their acceptance and admiration.
The charm, the emotion most longed for by the brain
Teachers and educators know this well: the success of teaching lies in awakening the spark of attention in the learners. For this purpose, the teacher must be able to generate interest through motivating and fascinating content. Only in this way will he be able to have a great impact on the student's mind, stimulating his interest in learning and discovering.
Charm is a state of mind with immense power as it activates the limbic system, the brain area linked to emotions, almost instantly. Once stimulated, this area begins to release endorphins, the pleasure hormones that facilitate processes such as concentration and the flow of new ideas.
On the other hand, It is interesting to note that the term "fascinate" has its Latin roots in another word from which it derives: enchant. For centuries this word has had a negative connotation; it was believed that those who were fascinated were actually at the mercy of an evil power, a strange influence capable of annihilating the human will.
Nowadays this meaning has lost value. We now know that from a psychological point of view, feeling fascination is the result of a cognitive process that instills extreme well-being.
Charm and innovation go hand in hand
The big brands, especially in the field of technology, they know that in order to gain public consent, they must focus on emotional impact. Nobody buys a product that doesn't excite them. It is a product that does not fascinate, it is not innovative enough. Charm is defined by a number of characteristics:
- What fascinates us is at the same time a challenge, as it looks different to our eyes, which is why it draws our attention. The brain feels drawn to new, stimulating, and inviting things.
- It must cause in us desire, expectation and great curiosity.
- If something fascinates us, it arouses trust and security in us. It does not matter that an object is completely new, if it fascinates us we want it and we feel it close to us.
An emotion that totally involves
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi studied the charm and he defined it as the optimal experience in psychology. He himself explains that feeling fascinated is not the same as being interested in something; it is a deeper state.
Almost like falling in love, it throws us into a state of absolute concentration. We connect with the here and now and experience a feeling of absolute commitment to the entity that has fascinated us.
The power of aesthetic appeal on the brain
Charm is the king of aesthetic emotions. Rafael Bisquerra, professor at the University of Barcelona, ​​defines aesthetic emotion as the response unleashed in us by what the brain recognizes as beautiful. But we could go further: we don't get excited only by things that are pleasing or attractive to the eye.
The brain is also fascinated by what arouses mystery and triggers deep interest. The study conducted at the University of Belgrade (Serbia) reveals the incredible impact that events that are ambiguous have on our minds. When an aesthetic stimulus combines a known aspect with an unknown, the brain awakens, finds inspiration and impresses itself.
Because what fascinates us pushes us to know more. It is like observing the Great Sphinx of Giza: we are attracted by its size, its bearing, its shape and its history. But what really traps us is the mystery that hides more than its beauty. When the aesthetic side is combined with the enigma, it generates a greater impact and unleashes powerful emotions in us.
