How Does Reading Influence You?
When was the last time you immersed yourself into a great book?
A good book has the power to change our lives, unlike any other thing. But with the rapid advancement of technology, people seem to have forgotten the simple joys a good book could bring. Reading books let us travel through different worlds and opens up the portal to live the life of millions of different characters. It does not matter what you enjoy reading, as long as you enjoy reading. It could be enjoying reading Harry Potter and his magic wizardry or it could be a Dan Brown’s thriller sci-fi novel.
Books are a uniquely portable magic. — Stephen King
Imagine the feeling to be lost in another person’s imagination, the ability to visualize an author’s perspective on something. I personally feel books are treasure trove of an author’s experiences, learning, advice, thoughts all stored within the leafs of a giant tree that’s grown by an author.
Want to know one habit ultra-successful people have in common?
They read. A lot.
In fact, when Warren Buffett was once asked about the key to success, he pointed to a stack of nearby books and said, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”
There is no right book for anyone. That’s because a book automatically becomes the right one for you, once you start reading it. Big or small, fiction or nonfiction, biography or autobiography, reading books has the power to change your perspective on life. Let’s find out how:
Your brain on books
Reading is an immersive experience that brings your brain alive — it creates its own images and ideas as you lose yourself in a novel. But there is evidence which suggests that we can actually physically change the structure of our brains through reading. Your brain on books is active — growing, changing and making new connections and different patterns, depending on the type of material you’re reading. Forget your Playstation or Xbox — reading is the original virtual-reality experience for your brain. But how else does reading affect your brain?
If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Reading heightens brain connectivity.
It’s not uncommon for people to say that a book has changed their life, but did you know reading a novel can actually change the brain? Researchers at Emory University’s Center for Neuropolicy have found that reading a narrative can cause changes in the brain, not only while participating in the activity but in resting-state connectivity, too. What exactly does that mean?
According to the study, when we read, the connection between the left temporal cortex of the brain — the area associated with language reception — is heightened. What’s more, that heightened activity continues for several days following reading.
Deep reading makes us more empathetic
It feels great to lose yourself in a book, and doing so can even physically change your brain. As we let go of the emotional and mental chatter found in the real world, we enjoy deep reading that allows us to feel what the characters in a story feel. And this in turn makes us more empathetic to people in real life, becoming more aware and alert to the lives of others.
There is no friend as loyal as a book — Ernest Hemingway
Your attention span improves
Reading regularly has proven to increase our attention span. The more we read the more we are able to focus and absorb into us, the more our brains are able to link cause and effect. When we read a novel, we read linearly, rather than sporadically jumping from tab to tab, and slowly think about the information in front of us. This exercise of taking time to process the narrative, to think about the complex layers of the story and how they fit together, actually increases the capacity for longer attention spans, especially in children.
Your brain’s structure changes
Whilst you might never really get into reading if you find it a struggle, anyone can be trained to become a more proficient reader. When undergoing training, your brain actually changes physically. Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University assessed students on a 6-month daily reading program and found that the white matter in the language area of their brains had actually increased.
The benefits of reading regularly are aplenty, it is profoundly known to increase the neuroplasticity of our brain which is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. So, as a result the brain has new paths and connections which expand our ability of thinking.
Until next time.
Peace, Love and Gratitude
Shriram
Thank you so much for spending the time to go through this small list and read I made. I made it through what inspired me the most and the ones which had a great takeaway.
