Reading Stories

Did you know that "theory of mind," your brain's capacity to construct a map of other people's intentions, appears to be enhanced by reading stories? It also appears to be enhanced by watching movies (but not by watching TV). Studies have shown that the brain processes interactions among fictional characters in a story or a book as something akin to real-life social encounters, just as the brain responds to words related to smells, movements, and textures as if they were the real thing. Read to yourself, read to others. Read! (Paul, Annie Murphy. "Your Brain on Fiction," nytimes.com, 3-17-12)