Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCan Reading Make You Happier?
[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
For all avid readers who have been self-medicating with great books their entire lives, it comes as no surprise that reading books can be good for your mental health and your relationships with others, but exactly why and how is now becoming clearer, thanks to new research on readings effects on the brain. Since the discovery, in the mid-nineties, of mirror neuronsneurons that fire in our brains both when we perform an action ourselves and when we see an action performed by someone elsethe neuroscience of empathy has become clearer. A 2011 study published in the Annual Review of Psychology, based on analysis of fMRI brain scans of participants, showed that, when people read about an experience, they display stimulation within the same neurological regions as when they go through that experience themselves. We draw on the same brain networks when were reading stories and when were trying to guess at another persons feelings.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/can-reading-make-you-happier
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
5 replies, 575 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (9)
ReplyReply to this post
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Can Reading Make You Happier? (Original Post)
MerryBlooms
Jun 2016
OP
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)1. I certainly believe it can (and does) n/t
Response to etherealtruth (Reply #1)
MerryBlooms This message was self-deleted by its author.
niyad
(113,306 posts)2. well, it certainly makes ME happier.
malthaussen
(17,195 posts)3. I reckon it depends on what you read. n/t
Aerows
(39,961 posts)5. It makes me nearly as happy
as writing myself!