When we read, a complex and fascinating process unfolds in our brain and body. It is amazing what a books, a good novel, can make happen to ourselves.
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.”
Roald Dahl
Gymnastic, READastic
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Joseph Addison penned this quote roughly 300 years ago, before modern science and research equipment could back up his claim. In the modern world of science where we can measure almost everything a for hard evidence looking based scientist actually proved it.
Neuroplasticity
Our brain contains about 100 billion neurons, each of which has several hundreds to even several thousands synaptic connections. The condition of our brain depends on their number and the efficiency of communication between cells. The number of connections plays a big role here.
New connections are created in our neural network, which develops faster the more we read. After reading a book of about a hundred pages, changes in the brain can already be seen. The number of intraneuronal contacts, or synapses, is measurably greater. These changes are fixed if we read many books. This is a specific benefit for the brain, but for these properties to be permanent, we should be regular readers. Its absence means a loss of neurons and a gradual deterioration of, for example, vocabulary or communication skills.
- Dr. Robert Freidland’s research shows that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is more than twice as low for people who read regularly than for those who don’t read at all.
- by reading we can delay the aging process of the brain by up to 30%.
But if you want to really give your brain a workout? Pick up a foreign language novel.
Vacation Flow
Reading about something you enjoy or losing yourself in a good novel is an excellent way to relax. It can ease tension in your muscles and heart while letting your brain wander to new ideas and live in someone else’s shoes. Reading is a mini vacation for your brain!
By reading we reduce stress. Dr. David Lewis from Mindlab International at the University of Sussex noticed that an engaging book after just a few minutes of reading can lower cortisol levels and reduce stress by up to 70%, which is a great help, for example, in falling asleep. Overcoming stress also means lowering blood pressure and heart rate.
When we are deeply engaged with what we read, we may enter a “flow” state, where time seems to pass quickly, and we are fully absorbed in the activity. This state is often associated with increased enjoyment and productivity.
A poor naïve brain
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” George R.R. Martin
Have your ever felt so connected to a story that it’s as if you experienced it in real life? There’s a good reason why: your brain actually believes that you have experienced it. When we read, the brain does not make a real distinction between reading about an experience and actually living it. Whether reading or experiencing it, the same neurological regions are stimulated. Novels are able to enter into our thoughts and feelings. While you can certainly hop into a VR game at the mall and have a great time, it seems that reading is the original virtual reality experience, at least for your brain.
Empathy, sympathy
It feels great to lose yourself in a book, and doing so can even physically change your brain. As we let go of the emotional and mental chatter found in the real world, we enjoy deep reading that allows us to feel what the characters in a story feel. And this in turn makes us more empathetic to people in real life, becoming more aware and alert to the lives of others.
In short:
- it makes us sensitive,
- it teaches empathy,
- it shapes relationships with other people,
- it enriches your imagination, also when it comes to putting yourself in another person’s shoes,
- reading increases your vocabulary more than any conversation, even with educated people,
- it also directly affects a person’s intelligence and neuroplasticity
Live longer with books an many, many lives how you wish
Sources:
Raffur, K. (2021, November 12). Jak czytanie wpływa na mózg? Trening z książką. Nauka to lubie. https://naukatolubie.pl/jak-czytanie-wplywa-na-mozg/
Abke, A. (2020, Agust 30). 12 Reasons You Should Read (At Least) 12 Books This Year. Personal Ppathways. https://www.pearsonaccelerated.com/blog/12-reasons-you-should-read-at-least-12-books-this-year/
Open Education Database. (n.d). Your Brain on Books: 10 Things That Happen to Our Minds When We Read. https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/your-brain-on-books-10-things-that-happen-to-our-minds-when-we-read/
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