Reading and the Brain

This may be the coolest thing I have read in quite some time. This is an article from the New York Times called "Your Brain on Fiction." In it, researchers tell how the brain reacts when reading and compare their findings to how the brain reacts when actually experiencing something. Here's a great quote:

"The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life; in each case, the same neurological regions are stimulated."

Later the article goes on to say,

"Indeed, in one respect novels go beyond simulating reality to give readers an experience unavailable off the page: the opportunity to enter fully into other people’s thoughts and feelings."

So basically, if I'm reading this correctly and interpreting the findings accurately, readers (at least as far as their brains are concerned) have more experiences and more prior knowledge to bring to classroom instruction.

It's a fascinating read. I highly encourage it. Once again, here's the link: "Your Brain on Fiction."