Mariella Frostrup ©BBC
The news that reading Jane Austen is physical good for you – for it exercises areas of the brain not touched by other leisure activities- has been doing the rounds on the internet for some time. Today on BBC Radio 4′s bookshelf programme, Mariella Frostrup, above, discussed just how valuable it truly is to read Jane Austen, and what benefits we can derive from it with Professor Natalie Phillips, who has undertaken all this fascinating research via the use of brain scans by Michigan State University.
This extract from the programme’s blurb explains all:
What exactly is the human brain doing when we are enjoying the magical experience of reading a good book – and what difference does it make if we are reading for pleasure, or for study? Assistant Professor of Literature at Michigan State University Professor Natalie Philips undertook to find out exactly that by asking her students to read Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park in a MRI scanner in a series of experiments at America’s Stanford Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging. We discuss what the latest developments in literary neuroscience could mean for the way in which society as a whole evaluates the study of humanities and the liberal arts
This is a fascinating project, and the results thus far are stunning and very exciting. As someone who took part in developing the first MRI scanners in Cambridge (as a patient not a scientist, I hasten to add!) I find this such an interesting way to use the technology . Go here to listen again to the programme: the article about Jane Austen appears approximately 12 minutes 40 seconds in from the commencement of the programme.This will be repeated on Thursday at 15.30, but is available to “listen again ” to for a year.
9 comments
January 27, 2013 at 11:09 pm
cathyallen
That was very interesting, thank you, Julie.
January 28, 2013 at 9:41 am
The effect on the brain of reading complex literature | Bedales Headmaster’s Blog
[...] Read more on the Austenonly blog. [...]
January 28, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Tina
Very interesting indeed. I always thought that the benefit of reading a good book was such an undisputed truth that it went without saying, but seeing how the educational programmes around the world are becoming so science and maths orientated while literature is pushed to the background, it really worries me.
It’s wonderful to prove that reading good literature (and in this case our dear Jane’s) is not only a pleasure, but good mental exercise into the bargain! This is science put to good use!!
January 30, 2013 at 10:39 am
jfwakefield
Its fascinating,I totally agree. And I too fear for the world if the humanities are “put on the back burner”.What would Jane say?I think we can guess…..
January 29, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Steph
I’d be very interested to see the MRI results of people reading different Austen novels. Reading “Mansfield Park” fires up all my anger emotions at the characters (it’s not a pleasurable read), while reading “Persuasion” my feelings are much more melancholy and calm; “P&P” of course is so upbeat, that you can’t help but feel a sense of well-being.
January 30, 2013 at 10:32 am
jfwakefield
Good point, Steph. what I found interesting was the point that Jane Austen was the only author in their opinion who qualified to be included in the research as she is read for pleasure and for academic studies.
January 30, 2013 at 5:22 am
Marg Savery
I haven’t listened to the programme, but this is no news for me. From approximately the age of 18 I have read all six Jane Austen novels every year and found them very helpful dealing with my depression, in addition to their entertainment value!
January 30, 2013 at 9:55 am
jfwakefield
I think we can all agree with you, Marg. And for me a daily dose of Bach seems to set my brain in order. I wonder if there are any Bach investigations going on…..
January 30, 2013 at 10:34 am
imogen88
Loved this, even though I missed the audio. There is something very satisfying about reading JA — I can’t say what exactly it is in a word, though. Studies like these are well worth it, I am glad they did it.
(Re Bach, Julie, even jazz musicians swear by Bach to inspire them, for the mastery and clarity, he is a giant, I agree.)