Something Amazing Happens to Your Brain When You Read, Scientists Say

Recognizing letters and understanding text is more than just a visual reaction - it is a complex process that engages many areas of the brain : from those responsible for language, through memory, emotions, to imagination - neurons must work closely together.

French neurobiologist Stanislas Dehaene discovered that the key role in this process is played by the so-called Visual Word Form Area (VWFA) – an area in the left fusiform gyrus that rapidly recognizes letters and words before we have a chance to consciously process them.

In Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention (2009), Dehaene describes how our brains cope with learning to read —a relatively new skill in human history.

Writing is an invention that is only a few thousand years old, yet we can read quickly, fluently, and effortlessly. This is because our minds did not create a separate “system” for this activity, but used structures that were already used for other tasks, such as recognizing faces or objects.

Dehaene called this phenomenon neural recycling – the adaptation of existing neural circuits to entirely new purposes.

Reading as a simulation of experience

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) studies conducted at Emory University in Atlanta show that reading a book is more than just processing text – it is a neurological experience that engages the brain almost as if we were taking part in the events described.

Participants in the experiment who spent several days reading Robert Harris's novel Pompeii showed increased activity in the hippocampal gyrus — an area responsible for memory and spatial orientation — as well as in the somatosensory cortex, which processes stimuli from the body.

What’s more, this activity continued after the reader had finished reading. This means that the brain is not only reading the plot, but is actually creating a simulation, reacting as if we were running, feeling touch, or being in the space described by the author.

It is this neurological immersion that allows a good book to completely absorb us.

Reading novels as empathy training

There is another, less obvious, but very interesting phenomenon associated with reading – the development of empathy. A study published in the journal Science in 2013 by David Kid and Emanuel Castano showed that exposure to fiction – especially texts with complex characters and psychological depth – improves the so-called theory of mind , or the ability to understand the intentions and mental states of other people.

In the experiment, participants who absorbed content by authors such as Alice Munro and Anton Chekhov were better at recognizing emotions based on eye expressions than those who read popular literature, reportage, or no reading at all.

A good read forces the reader to empathize— to enter into someone else's perspective and guess what the characters are feeling, even if it is not said directly. In this way, the brain trains social sensitivity almost in the same way that the body trains muscles during physical exercise.

Reading as a protective shield

Neuropsychological studies show that regular reading affects the plasticity of the brain – its ability to create and strengthen neural connections. In a 2014 study, scientists from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh proved that intensive reading training in children increases the density of the so-called white matter, responsible for the rapid transfer of information between different areas of the brain. However, the benefits are not only visible in the youngest.

Long-term research published in the journal Neurology in 2013 suggests that adults who regularly absorb content throughout their lives are slower to lose mental agility in old age. This acts as a protective shield—supporting memory, concentration, and helping you stay sharper longer.

Reading activates different parts of the brain depending on the type

One of the most recent and comprehensive studies is a meta-analysis by Dr. Sabrina Turker , a neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive Science and the Human Brain in Germany. Her team collected data from 163 experiments using fMRI and PET imaging, involving more than 3,000 adult participants . They looked at different aspects of reading—single letters and entire texts, reading silently and aloud, real words and nonsense words.

The results confirmed the dominant role of the left hemisphere in processing language, but also revealed the importance of the cerebellum – usually associated with movement and balance. They found that the right cerebellum was particularly active during reading aloud, while the left was particularly active during analysis of the meaning of words.

Reading silently engaged more cognitive areas, while reading aloud engaged more auditory and motor areas.

As the authors point out, different reading styles stimulate different sets of neural connections. These findings not only expand our understanding of how the human language system works, but also support previous findings on neurostimulation and may help us further refine reading models.

Reading is fitness for the brain

Although we don't realize it on a daily basis, reading books is not only a form of entertainment, but also a powerful mental exercise. It activates many areas of the brain, develops language skills, strengthens empathy and improves memory. In a world flooded with images and short messages, it is worth remembering that a few pages a day can be the best investment in our health.