Why We Like BeBee Stories

Graham Swift said: “Man is the storytelling animal. Wherever he goes he wants to leave behind not a chaotic wake, not an empty space, but the comforting marker-buoys and trail signs of stories”. Through the writers on beBee, the wonder of story is re-awakened. A beautiful blog, a heartfelt tale, a flowing factual narrative; stories enthrall.

What does neuroscience tell us about the ancient and uniquely human love for story? 

Relationship Building

One of our brain’s unique features is its ability to form and recognize patterns in the world around us. Patterns that enable us to react quickly and appropriately to the environment and people we encounter. By forming predictive patterns, the energy load on our grey matter is reduced and our sense of control is increased. Some neuroscientists describe the brain’s main function as one large pattern making and prediction machine.

This is where story comes in. Stories invoke the brain to fill in gaps and to anticipate future outcomes; it ignites the brain’s pattern-making ability. Steven Pinker says: “One might have expected natural selection to have weeded out any inclination to engage in imaginary worlds rather than the real one.” He continues: "Stories evolved as an important tool for learning and for developing relationships with others". When listening to or reading a tale, the mind transcends the now and places us in an imaginary situation; safe from the potential perils of real life. 

Ordering Life

Stories are mental rehearsals and of events that may occur in our lives. It plays to the human need of wanting to have control over our circumstances. Constructing a story imposes meaning where there is apparent randomness, and so affords a strengthened sense of meaning to our lives and thoughts. In a study students were shown a short film in which two triangles and circle moved about randomly. All but one student explained what they saw as "the circle was worried and the little triangle was an innocent young thing." We are inclined to see causality and emotion in events - even when it is only geometric shapes moving. 

Stories engage through what philosophers call the hermeneutic circle. This means understanding works in a circular way; we understand a narrative only by grasping in advance the relation of a specific part to the whole in which it belongs, even we one can only arrive at a sense of the whole by working through its parts. The oscillation between ongoing predictions our minds make while engaged in a narrative, and the actual unfolding of events, draws us in and intrigues us. The tension between dissonance and harmonization compels us to read and absorb.

Brain Activation

Research shows reading a novel improves mind functioning. Over nine days researchers took brain scans of students who read Robert Harris’ book Pompeii. The scans showed increased brain connectivity on the mornings following the reading assignments. Importantly, the increased buzz in the brains were in a variety of cerebral areas including parts responsible for language comprehension, recording of sensations and co-ordination of movement. 

Those who read more have increased empathy and are better at theory of mind; the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes. There is substantial overlap in the cerebral areas we use to understand a tale and that which we use to navigate our social world – in particular those interactions where we are trying to figure out the thoughts and intention of others. Narratives offer a unique opportunity to engage in personal and social simulation as we identify with the characters’ hopes and frustrations, guess their hidden motives and track their encounters with others. We peek into someone's conscience to see how they think and act. 

Imagine you recline in a bran scanner while reading a story on a screen, one word at a time. When you read about something the protagonist did such as “He picked up his sword”, the same areas of your brain are activated as if you were actually picking up a sword. These areas include the motor planning and soma-sensory areas. When you read of an activity, the parts of your brain required to physically do it, fire up as well. The degree of intensity may be less but the same neural changes occur internally when you read about someone else experiencing or doing something.

Emotional Linking

Oxytocin is often called the chemical of cooperation. It enhances our ability to experience the emotions of others. Character driven stories with emotional content stimulates the release of oxytocin and increases our propensity to trust and show kindness. Stories with emotional content result in a deeper understanding and better recall of the content.

Aristotle, centuries ago distinguished oratory appeal in three categories. A recent analysis of effective talks discovered that 25% content was based on logos; data and logic, and the remaining 10% fell under ethos; establishing credibility for oneself. A full 65% of the content was what Aristotle called pathos; conveying personal emotion.

Most neural studies on storytelling focus on one of two brains; that of the teller or that of the listener. What happens when we peer inside the neural workings of both at the same time? Both the teller and listener’s brains form the same neural activity, with that of the listener usually one to three seconds behind that of the teller. At the neural level the listener is drawn into the story in a very real and visceral way. At some points of the narrative, the listener’s brain jumps ahead to form predictive leaps demonstrating the pattern-forming characteristics of our minds. What’s more the extent of the brain pattern overlaps and activation between the two people, predicts the success of the communication. 

Perhaps the biggest reason why we like BeBee stories is because we want to be part of a shared experience.

Donald Hebb coined the well-known phrase: “Neurons that fire together, wire together”. 

Nowhere is this more true than in story.

(Image Credit: Fatima Williams)