Aching for a loved one while they are alive but far away is useful for maintaining our bond with them; the ache can become unbearable when we know they will never return. People describe the overwhelming pain of grief, beyond individual emotions, as psychic pain. Why does grief hurt so much? My studies of the brain have considered this question, and I believe that the brain has powerful tools, including hormones, neurochemicals, and genetics, to produce this aching and seemingly unbearable sensation.
