An in-depth reading of novels appears to have a significant effect on brain function. In a study at Stanford, literary neuroscientist Natalie Phillips tried to uncover the impact of reading on the brain. During this study, PhD candidates in literature were scanned with fMRI to see how both casual and deep reading of Jane Austen affected brain activity.
Reading for pleasure and reading to study both exercise different parts of the brain. However, deeper reading gives the brain more exercise.
According to the results of the study, in-depth reading significantly increases blood flow to different parts of the brain. In order to analyze a piece of text in depth, a number of cognitive functions must coordinate with each other in complex ways to process the words and find meaning in them. Even for the most seasoned of readers, it seems that reading requires more effort from the brain than one might think.
Key takeaways
- Reading Jane Austen works has many effects on the brain
- Blood flow increases in brain when reading literary works
- Reading classic works gives the brain workout
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