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On the 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. At the time of writing, the UK is in the midst of a prolonged period of national mourning. Regardless of your thoughts about the monarchy, it\u2019s undeniable that countless people are genuinely saddened by the Queen\u2019s passing, and are experiencing profound grief.<\/p>\n
However, grief is a very complex and demanding process. So, why are so many experiencing grief, something very taxing for our bodies and minds, over the loss of someone that only around a third of the country has met, or even seen in real life? Rather than an anomaly, such grief is actually commonplace. Because of how our brains work.<\/p>\n
Humans are incredibly social creatures. It\u2019s the basis for our dominance of the planet. We form emotional connections and investments in other individuals like no other species. But despite what many assume, this need not be a mutual thing.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s entirely possible for us to become deeply emotionally invested in someone who doesn\u2019t even know we\u2019re there. Our brains are just that good at forming connections with others. Anyone who\u2019s ever had a powerful adolescent crush on someone from afar, or who\u2019s felt like a podcast host is a close personal friend, will know what it\u2019s like to be in a parasocial relationship<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is a relationship that is entirely one-sided, with all the emotional investment directed from one person towards another, with the latter being largely oblivious to the whole thing. Parasocial relationships are the basis of celebrity culture, and every sort of fandom.<\/p>\n