Reading, jogging of the brain
Whenever we are talking about reading, one will associate it with the impressions of either the enthusiastic Harry Potter reading club at school or the long-tedious reading assignment at the university which is the bane of a student’s existence. For whatever impressions one may have, it always ends up becoming some sort of an exclusive activity that requires you to either be a passionate book nerd, or a forced student trying to pass the class. What society misses a lot is that having the habit of reading daily is beneficial for one’s mental and health improvement, no matter what genres or type of books they read.
WHY IS READING CALLED THE JOGGING OF THE BRAIN?
According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS), the global literacy rate is 86.3%, which is a huge contrast to the 12% of literate people in 1820. Hence, we could say that everyone around us has grown up naturally being taught the literacy skills of reading and writing from school. It is such a natural occurrence that it almost feels like an innate skill that you don’t need to work on. However, do you know that reading is a form of mental exercise that we need to constantly practice and improve? We are not talking about reading short tweets and Facebook captions daily, but we are talking about reading a sole book, with a particular theme and idea, and a particular kind of story. Though unfortunately, it is hard to do for most of us when our attention span is constantly being stretched in so many different directions because of social media.
What people should realize is that reading is a brain-stimulating activity that could enhance the brain's cognitive functions and has long-term benefits. Reading a page full of just lengthy texts without visuals, animations, and such puts our brain to work more to process what we’re reading. In contrast to watching TV, though we consume the information and media the same by laying down on the cozy couch, watching television requires even less mental activity than daydreaming because the information is gained passively. However, when we are reading, our eyes scan the words attentively, which are converted into impulses and then sent to the brain to be processed and to make sense of what is being read. It lets our imagination run wild. This whole procedure prompts different parts of the brain to function and work together to accommodate the process of deciphering the story.
A neuroscientist named Stanislas Dehaene published a study proving reading acquisition that enhances an early brain visual process of contour integration. The study was performed by measuring the brain functions using functional magnetic resonance imaging of the Brazilian adults who acquired reading skills at different phases of their life; at an early age, at adult age, and who never learn to read at all in their lifetime. The observations showed that reading activities stimulate the brain’s occipital lobe and parietal lobe. The occipital lobe is mainly associated with visual information processing and is also crucial in the decision-making process. While at the other side, the parietal lobe is not only vital for sensory perception and integration but is also mainly recognized for its ability to increase writing skills and reading comprehension.
It was also observed that the parietal lobe becomes very active and works with the temporal lobe to store information when reading. Based on the results, it was inferred that children that have learned to read early on have substantially more advanced visual processing ability than those who start reading later on. Hence, it could be said that the reading habit from an early age plays a prominent factor in one’s success in later life, be it in academic settings, creative spaces, and even the ability for critical thinking.
Other related studies conducted at Emory University, Atlanta, US had the participants read the Pompeii novel, which is a historical fiction story with strong narrative lines. Results of the fMRI scanner have proven the heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, which is the brain area that is associated with receptivity for language. Surprisingly, this observation was also seen in the primary sensory motor region of the brain called the central sulcus, where the neurons are responsible for creating sensations for the body. A fun fact, the brain is quite adept at ‘role-playing’. For instance, when we read the action of a man simply walking down the stairs or fighting the mighty dragons in the arena, the neurons that regulate our motor activities will be triggered and busy transmitting signals as if we are acting the deeds. Therefore, even though we are not physically moving, the brain nonetheless exercised itself simply by reading! Now knowing this fact, the saying ‘to put oneself in another person’s shoes when reading a novel is not just meant metaphorically, but might also be happening biologically in real life!
Furthermore, it has been notable that a reading habit could help decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other degenerative diseases. According to the Fisher Center of Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, the study suggests that those who engaged in mentally challenging activities both early in life and in later years had a slower rate of memory declination than those who did not. The brain is just like a machine that needs to be constantly used and refined. Leaving it inert will make it prone to oxidation and eventually it’ll become rusty and corroded. Hence, a reading habit is a great fuel to keep our brain and mind going. Reading at least 30 minutes a day stimulates the brain greatly and will eventually maintain and improve brain functions in the long run.
Reading is a form of meditation, it’s one of those few things that can never harm us. It doesn’t hurt to read at least 50 pages daily. Right?
Dr. Darshit Patel
CONCLUSION
We are all amazed by the recent machine learning (ML) technology implementation such as the AI painting generator that could generate paintings from random prompts, the personalized travel ads popping everywhere we go on the internet right after we googled a random flight ticket and the constantly updated ranking posts on social media. Bear in mind that this whole astonishing ML technology was built based on the human brain model! Therefore, just like how IT developers and data scientists develop machine learning technology by constantly giving myriad sets of data to train them in the analytic and perceiving abilities in linking one information to another in the pursuit to produce the desired algorithms, the human brain must be constantly given inputs and information throughout the life.
And the best way to do so is by implementing a reading habit. In our life, not only the physical and technical skills that require exercise and constant practice, but also our mental abilities. Through the simple habit of reading, the brain can rewire itself in a way that is advantageous for the whole brain, not just the reading-centric temporal cortex. So, who knows by doing so we could train the brain to become the greatest mind soldier, or perhaps even the next Einstein?
