That line every bibliophile tells you – that feeling when you read a book, it’s like you’re escaping reality and stepping into a new world, in that character’s shoes. While entertainment and information are two benefits you get from reading, did you know the brain physically changes too when you read on a regular basis? Studies have shown people who read regularly have better neural connections, memory, emotional intelligence and so many more cognitive benefits over “non-readers”. Read on to know exactly what happens to your brain when you read on a regular basis.
What counts as actual reading?
Before we discuss about how the brain changes for good when we read, we should understand what kind of reading exactly makes these changes. Reading tweets, scrolling headlines and Facebook posts does not count. Anything short and does not require your concentration ad attention spans for a significant of time (like when you skim read) won’t make much of a difference. Though you might be getting some information, it does not improve any cognitive skills as such. In fact, instead of helping you, research says such reading actually reduces your attention span and the ability to understand complex ideas. Deep reading, the kind where you curl up on your couch with a book (and maybe with a mug of coffee), not only takes you on an adventure of its own, but makes the brain fell the same too.
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Reading makes you live the experience
When you read, you think about and try to picture each of the exact scenes that are described. You imagine the scene, the motor actions going on (like a person running or swimming), smells, taste and every other sensory feeling involved. Here’s more, it doesn’t just stop with you imagining it – your brain actually gets activated in that particular region associated with it. Let’s say you’re given a description of a character walking through a bright sunflower field, with the scent of fresh air. When you imagine this scene, all the regions associated with walking (motor functions), vision of color and smell are all activated. For a while, your brain actually lets you become that character in that scene.
Increases the Brain’s “White Matter”
The human brain has two types of tissue – grey and white. While grey matter is involved in processing information, white matter plays an important role in passing this information around different regions of the brain. Several studies over the years have shown that reading improves the amount of white matter in our brains. This helps us in processing information effectively, and deeper too. Here’s another catch, researchers have actually seen a decrease in the amount of white matter over time in people who don’t read. But don’t worry if you aren’t one of those people who reads much – with a little dedication by reading on a daily for six months, you could easily increase your white matter.
Your EQ is Boosted
If you’re an avid reader, you often feel that same emotions and feelings that the character you’re reading about is going through too. Sometimes, maybe you’ve cried with your favorite character when they’re in pain (or is it just me?). Well, turns out reading actually improves your EQ (emotional quotient), or the ability to step into others shoes and understand their situation. In short, you become more emphatic and understand others perspectives easier.
E-sources & 7-day Adaption
Our brain is very flexible and adapts to various changes, one of those being technology. When you first start reading from e-sources, it might feel a little weird. But gradually, you get used to it (and maybe opt to read that way all the time). It has below shown that it takes seven days to adapt to reading from any electronic sources, be it e-books, e-newspapers or anything else. This is irrespective of your age, amount of reading or technology you are exposed to.
Which Skill Should You Master?
Now that you know reading isn’t just something to go through for fun, what are you waiting for? Get yourself a good book – whether a thriller, classic, non-fiction, romance or whatever genre you prefer. Find yourself a comfy reading spot, and let the magic of reading whisk you off to a new adventure!
