| Mind Reading |
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| “Mirror neurons undoubtedly provide, for the first time in history, a plausible neurophysiological explanation for complex forms of social cognition and interaction.” — Marco Iacoboni |
In her work, Miss Larson examines the phenomenon of ‘mind reading’ using the newly discovered mirror neurons. A mirror neuron is a neuron which fires both when an animal performs an action and when the animal observes the same action performed by another (especially conspecific) animal. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of another animal, as though the observer were itself performing the action. |
Mirror neurons are essentially a monkey see/monkey do type of motor neuron (a nerve cell that controls muscles) that also allow the brain cells to experience empathy (e.g., flinching when seeing somebody get hit in the groin, ‘feeling’ the action in the body.) Yawning, blushing, and crying can be contagious for this reason… laugh tracks also work in this way. By becoming more conscious of how and what we convey consciously and unconsciously with our minds and bodies, we can better affect how people perceive and understand us. Understanding leads to empathy and thus better communication between individuals and groups.  |
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