Storytelling is the most seductive art of all. Words, when carefully crafted to reveal an enticing tale, have immense power. Not only can they draw in an audience, momentarily transporting an individual within space and time, they also influence the way we think about the world around us, and consequently, effect our beliefs and decision-making.
(A brief animation about the evolutionary and neurological power of storytelling.)
Paul J, Zak, a professor at Claremont Graduate University, studied the power of storytelling by showing a sad story of a young boy dying titled Ben’s Story. After viewing the film, Zak took blood samples from the audience and found elevated levels of two chemicals – cortisol, which is associated with distress and attentiveness, and oxytocin, which is associated with empathy. Afterwards participants were given money which they could choose to donate or keep. Those with elevated cortisol and oxytocin levels were more likely to donate money than those who did not watch the story, leading Zak to conclude that narratives can change our behaviour by changing brain chemistry.
(Summary of Paul J. Zak’s research about how stories change our brains.)
Furthermore, while the audience watched Ben’s emotional story the brain was activated in areas rich in oxytocin receptors and regions associated with theory of mind (or an understanding of other people’s actions). On the other hand, while the audience watched a boring video of Ben walking around a zoo there was minimal brain activity since nothing stimulating occurred in the film.
Since our attention is metabolically costly we prioritize what we focus on, which is why we can drive a car while talking to a friend and listening to music all at the same time. Zak’s research concluded that what grips our attention the most has some aspect of tension or drama. Once a story has sustained our attention long enough, we may begin to emotionally resonate with a story’s characters, a processes narratologists refer to as “transportation”.
Interestingly, neurologists have identified that when we transport ourselves into a story, whether in the format of a film, podcast, or novel, our brain processes it in the same way as if it was actually happening to us. Therefore, your brain lives the story as if it was real. For instance, a study at Emroy University had undergraduates read 30 pages of a story about the volcanic eruption of Pompeii every evening. The following morning, they had their brains scanned which showed heightened connectivity in the left regions of the brain to language and sensory motor processing centres. Therefore, even though they had finished reading the story, they retained neural changes associated with the physical sensation of movement, suggesting that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist.
These findings affirm that storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to communicate and motivate. Therefore, as scientists we need to shift from “data dump” presentations that are ineffective in inspiring others as our brains simply aren’t wired to retain messages presented dryly. To stimulate and activate our audiences, we need to transport others into an emotional experience, which may be a challenge for the objective and factual nature of science. A challenge, but a possibility, and perhaps, a necessity.
By Jamie Fujioka
