Benefits Of Reading: New Worlds To Discover

Reading is a gift. It enriches us, excites us and takes us to other worlds. It is also an opportunity to grow, empathize and discover new perspectives. Discover the benefits of reading in this article.

A book is something that can take us to so many new places, and yet it is one of the least appreciated treasures. It is an opportunity to meet new people, see different points of view and visit other worlds.

It is truly one of the best gifts for anyone who can appreciate it and the best companion to help us cope with life’s circumstances.

Reading opens the door to endless possibilities : magical worlds, stories from the past and futuristic visions. It is the key that can open the locks of uncertainty and give us inspiration for life. It can fill us with emotions that remind us that we are really alive!

Being immersed in an ocean of letters is an experience that rarely leaves us indifferent. A book moves us, surprises us, makes us think and can even change our lives.

The benefits of reading: creating, building and understanding

A book feeds us, asks us questions and offers us new perspectives. Reading enriches us when we open all our senses to it. It’s not the same to quickly flip through a book, because that way we’ll never connect with what the author is trying to tell us through the pages of his book.

We can put ourselves in the shoes of the characters and experience everything that happens to them, conducting the conversations in our own minds and making them come alive. We can also learn about different theories or concepts that authors are trying to convey to us. Reading is all this and much more.

Reading is creating, imagining, understanding, empathizing and above all building. It is a dialectical process between the author and the reader.

Psychologists Paul Watzlawick and Marcelo Ceberio confirmed this in their book The Construction of the Universe . They argue that the reading and the ensuing reflections are systematically constructed as a process of co-construction between the author and the reader.

It is a real work of art, in which both participants get to know each other and together put together the product – a product that is nothing less than a message with real values.

The psychological benefits of reading

Reading is an open door to learning, which can lead us to exciting scenarios. It seduces and enriches us and nourishes our brains. It is a fact that reading enhances mental processes such as memory, reasoning and perception. It really has the power to “open our eyes.”

Psychologist Ignacio Morgado, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Barcelona, ​​confirms that reading activates certain areas in our brain, such as:

• The occipital and temporal lobes recognize the meaning of the words.
• The hippocampus and temporal lobe interpret the words and fill our thoughts with memories.
• Activate the amygdala and other emotional areas when reading sentimental texts. This is the case whether they are true stories or fiction.

• In addition, the prefrontal cortex and working memory are activated when you try to reason what you just read.

Reading helps people to sleep

The University of Toronto has published a study in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences . In it they show that reading fiction improves empathy and certain other skills.

This is because this genre creates a simulation of different social worlds in the mind of the reader. As a result, there is a better understanding of social experiences and relationships.

In addition, according to a study by The Sleep Council , reading for half an hour or an hour before bed can significantly reduce stress build-up. This is because reading is an activity that distracts the mind from the worries and pressures of our daily lives. It offers a refuge where you can feel free from all these tensions.

A better vocabulary

Another benefit of reading is acquiring a better vocabulary, especially when we read different kinds of literary genres. We make connections between words that are used orally and words that we read.

This enriches our speaking skills and indirectly improves our spelling. We should also not forget the influence that reading can have on our creativity, imagination and emotional world.

A book is a silent companion that we can bond with, and each link can transform us in so many different ways. Reading gives us refuge, takes us to other worlds and expands our minds.