SMH July 12, 2024 by Jane Sullivan
Dear reader. Writers are messing with your mind. And that’s a good thing. There’s always been a view that reading literature – especially great literature – makes you a better person. Now science backs this view. Various studies of brain scans have shown that stories stimulate the brain and can change how we act in real life.
A New York Times report identifies parts of the brain affected by reading. Metaphors can set off real sensations of sight, hearing, touch or taste. The interactions between fictional characters are received as something like real-life social encounters. And entering into the mind of a character – the special privilege of fiction – creates more empathy for others around us.
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