To read or not to read?

I am usually receptive to any ideas or methods that can be used to help us stimulate our brains' functioning.. I have read all the advice one can conjure up regarding this particular concept. Most recently, I came across an interesting article, that higlighted that the brain fuctioning of fiction readers verses non fiction readers was different. Apparently, non-fiction readers had lower activity in the primary sensory region of the brain, thus they were less likley to be compassionate and empathic towards others. On the other hand, the fiction readers primary sensory brain region activity had increased.

To many of us, this may come as little surprise. Since, many of us have been reading fiction for decades, and are cognizant of how we have been influenced and thus changed. Some people have just begun to partake in this pleasurable activity, welcome and kudos to all the new fiction readers!! Each of us, can most likley recall the how and when of it: referring to our thought process changes through reading. My changes began as a youngster, with my thrill of reading, I had embarked on this wonderful process. Yes, I do believe that fiction reading has influenced many of us, in a myriad of ways. Let me expalin, I would often envision myself the main protagonist when reading a particular novel. I would take on the characters goals and ambiitions and sometimes even their personal attributes. It was, and still is, a daring adventure for me to try on another person's skin, so to speak. I get to enter into their emotional being and experience what they experience.

And yes, exploring a character's heart and soul teaches each of us greatly. For instance, we often think that the daily emotions we experience are uniquely ours, but through reading, we soon realize that it is a true misconcept. All of our emotions, such as pain, grief, contentment, joy and love are truly universal.

Lastly, as a result of my reading endeavors, I had begun to explore outside my cloistered world of family and friends. As a youngster, I realized for the first time, I could become truly independent, like the female lead characters I often read about. The female protagonists often held goals and dreams that embodied their whole heart and soul. Some of them were embarking on their career paths, as they had just earned their college degrees. The concept of college was exciting to me, as I did not know too many people with college degrees, but often read about it in novels. Other venture, I enjoyed exploring was travelling, when the characters travelled, I travelled with them. The list of how my thought process has changed as a result of reading, could go on and on. Likewise, the same has happened to many of us, who have engaged in this endeavor. I like to end with this note, a heartfelt thank you to all the fiction writers out there. Thank you for embracing our minds and souls. You have helped us explore unknown possibilites, given us choices we did not know existed, and helped us fathom new dreams and realities in the process. Written by Theresa (St. Vincent) Zomick