This kind of obsessive attraction isn’t love. But it has a name.
Limerence can persist for months or years, psychologists say.
From The Times
July 25, 2026

For eight years, Jordan was powerfully drawn to her co-worker and was certain he was her soul mate, despite not knowing him well. Her experience was intense but not uncommon.

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It’s called limerence, and 50 percent of people experience it at least once in their lives.

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