How deep reading affects our brain
Books / / December 19, 2019
A study published in the Journal of Business Administration, has shown that the books that students read in college, have a direct impact on their level of literacy. The bigger and faster a person reads, the better he is able to express their thoughts in writing. Moreover, the right choice of literature means much more than the constant practice of writing.
Students who read scientific journals, classic fiction and non-fiction, better able to cope with the construction of syntactically complex offers than those who read uncomplicated fiction (detective stories, fantasy, science fiction) or exclusively web-aggregators like Reddit, Tumblr and Buzzfeed. The highest marks were given to the students who read serious academic publications, the lowest - those who read web content only.
The difference between deep and superficial reading
Deep reading - it is a slow, thoughtful reading of texts with complex moral issues, which is different from the surface of reading not only in learning new words.
Deep reading is only possible if you have a text in which a lot of details, allusions, metaphors. Then in the brain are activated by reading the same areas that are involved in experiencing new experiences.
Moreover, the deep reading increases empathy empathy. The reader, deeply immersed in what they read, begins to reflect, analyze and try to read themselves and their experiences. Also in the time of reading a person notices that it - the author's techniques, stylistic features, building plot - makes the book fascinating and unique, which means that learning to write more serious level.
Superficial reading - a text, which you can find in online blogs and entertainment sites (especially articles with lists and yellow headings). So the text is not enough original style, its own point of view and analysis that could stimulate thought. This lightweight short texts, which you can quickly skim through the eyes and forget after a few minutes.
Deep reading synchronizes brain
Deep reading includes the departments of the brain responsible for vision, hearing and speech. When reading and writing are activated following think tanks:
- Broca's area: It allows to perceive the rhythm and syntax helps integrate separate voice traffic into a single speech act.
- Wernicke's area: It affects the perception of the individual words and meaning in general.
- The angular gyrus: is responsible for the acceptance and use of language.
These centers are interconnected by a group of fibers that apparently helps the writer to connect and sync with the rhythm of the language. When reading your brain feels the tone, which is characteristic of complex texts, and then seeks to imitate it when you write yourself.
There are two ways to use a deep reading to learn how to write better.
1. Read the poem
In a study published in the Journal of Consciousness Studies, scientists reported finding activity in areas of the brain responsible for reading, which is manifested in different ways at different reading texts.
The more emotionally saturated text was, more often responded to the writing areas of the brain (mainly in the right hemisphere), which usually respond to music.
Comparing poetry and prose, the scientists were able to prove that when reading poetic texts activated cortex posterior cingulate and the medial temporal lobe - a brain region responsible for introspection.
When subjects read their favorite poems, more pronounced parts of the brain activity responsible for memory than the areas responsible for reading. This means that the re-reading favorite poems - a kind of good memory, which causes strong emotions. A strong emotion is always good for creative writing.
- Complete Poems Edward Asadov →
- 100 poems that touched the most severe Men →
- Sergey Yesenin verses →
- The Complete Works of Alexander Pushkin →
- Poems and songs of Vladimir Vysotsky →
2. Read classical literature
Understanding the psychological state of others - the most important skill for building a complex of social relations inherent in human society. And it helps the writer to create interesting characters and situations.
The theory of consciousness was held not many studies to understand what our consciousness is different from the consciousness of other people and how different our emotions. But recent experiments have shown that reading classic literature helps to better understand other people's emotions, status, especially thinking.
fiction reading stimulates the development of cognitive abilities stronger than reading magazines, interviews, and even popular science literature.
- 10 books, showing that the classics - it is not boring
- 13 books that inspired the famous corporations CEO: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Elon Musk and others
- 9 books that change lives for the better
- 100 books that changed the world
- 10 books with complex plot, which will not come off
Instead of watching television, focus on a thorough reading
Time spent watching television programs are almost always wasted, as the brain's ability to learn and perceive almost instantly fall to a minimum.
Reading posts in public servers amusing, entertaining articles in journals and light fiction can be an interesting exercise, but the brain does not carry any benefit. If you are serious about learning write wellSpend more time on the thoughtful reading of fiction, poetry, science and art articles, which use complex language and that make you think.