Surprise Benefits of Reading Fantasy Fiction

There is much more to fantasy than entertainment or an escape from reality. Fantasy fiction has a lot of cognitive benefits for readers. It increases your brain’s capacity to imagine and create, plus it offers a plethora of benefits that can help the reader improve on a holistic level. Here are some of the benefits you can get from reading fantasy books: 

1.     A well-developed imagination creates understanding.   

Several studies have shown that imagining stories help activate and develop the area of the brain that is responsible for the regulation of human interaction. In a study done by Raymond Mar, a psychologist from York University in Canada, he analyzed multiple MRI results and found that there is a substantial overlap in the region of the brain used to understand stories and human interaction. He also explained that being able to imagine scenes and stories develops a person’s ability to put their selves in someone else’s shoes. So, if you want to build your humanity try out fantasy and fiction. 

2.    Fantasy and fiction are reality simulators. 

 A professor emeritus in Cognitive Psychology at Toronto University, Keith Oatley, proposed to New York Times that reading books, especially fiction produces a simulation that “runs on minds of readers just as computer simulations run on computers.” 

“Fiction is a particularly useful simulation because negotiating the social world effectively is extremely tricky, requiring us to weigh up myriad interacting instances of cause and effect. Just as computer simulations can help us get to grips with complex problems such as flying a plane or forecasting the weather, so novels, stories, and dramas can help us understand the complexities of social life.” -Dr. Keith Oatley. 

3.    Improved vocabulary. 

This one might be obvious. Regular reading exposes you to new words and thoughts which increases your vocabulary and give birth to new ideas you can explore. There is a study that demonstrates how reading fictional books can help you.  

A study done in 2013 by Emory University had shown that fictional books stimulate certain areas in the brain that are usually related to comprehending language. Another study done by the website, testyourvocab.com, shows that there is a significant difference between the vocabulary of fiction readers vs. non-fiction. 

 Although others may give fantasy and fiction a bad rap, and some may even dismiss it as silly or frivolous, you cannot deny the fact that fantasy and fictional books do have their strengths. Fantasy and fiction are not just an escape from reality. They also bring about real-life benefits. 

The Beauty of Storytelling