We often use physical metaphors to describe emotional experiences. We speak of “broken hearts,” “gut punches,” and “crushing” rejection. What if “it hurts” might be more literal than we ever imagined?
An established fMRI study invited participants who had recently experienced an unwanted breakup to undergo two different types of stimulation. First, they looked at a photograph of their ex-partner and reflected on the rejection. Second, they underwent a classic physical pain test involving mild heat applied to the forearm.
Then, researchers discovered a startling neural overlap. Looking at the photo of an ex didn’t just trigger the “emotional” centers of the brain; it activated regions typically reserved for the sensory aspects of physical pain. Specifically, the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and the dorsal posterior insula (dpIns) lit up during both the heat test and the emotional reflection. Essentially, the brain processes social rejection using the same hardware it uses to process a physical burn.
That said, social rejection makes your brain literally treat it a bit like getting burned by hot coffee. Unlike the figurative expressions we grow accustomed to, this neural overlap reframes emotional pain as a biological event. The brain treats social rejection like getting burned by hot coffee. It is reacting to a perceived injury, not just a sad thought. Perhaps that is why “just getting over it” can feel physically impossible.
*What is News? Announcements, updates, or random (but useful) public therapy sessions.
