Understanding Embodied Simulation: Creating Meaning out of Language
Author: Lesley Lanir
Many language theorists have proposed that word meanings are connected to mental images in that we form mental representations in our minds of our experiences. Cognitive scientists are developing a new, more explanatory theory, known as ’embodied simulation.’
Making Sense and Action out of Language
Through his research and book, Louder than words: The new science of how the mind makes meaning, cognitive scientist, Professor Benjamin Bergen, a faculty Member of the University of California, San Diego, adds to the theories of how we make sense of language. Bergen’s studies shows that in addition to the left hemisphere of the brain, traditionally associated with language processing and production, other areas of the brain that process actions and perception — known as lower cognitive areas — are involved in language processing and production. Bergen, explains in detail how these areas necessary for the creation of meaning through what is known as embodied simulation.
Embodied Simulation Explained
Embodied simulation refers to the possibility that we understand the meaning of language by simulating in our minds the experience that the language describes through…
