People who like to read books live happier

Medical Video: 7 Books You Must Read If You Want More Success, Happiness and Peace

90 percent of Indonesians don't like to read books. Surprise?

Reading books has not become a lifestyle that is occupied by most of the people of Indonesia. At the same time, television is more easily accepted and reached by all people, seizing the attention of everyone, without controls and filters. The book also looks more unattractive and displaced by the lively entertainment of the glass screen.

In fact, it's not new news anymore that reading has many benefits. What you might not know, the role of books turns out to be far deeper than just enriching new information and knowledge.

Science proves, reading increases brain activity and analytical skills that reflect how a person behaves and manages his emotions

Differences in brain activity in people who like reading

A 2013 study at Emory University compared brain scans between people who like reading and those who don't, after previously asking each participant to read classic literature books. There are significant differences from the two images. Reading hobbyists show more active brain activity in certain areas of their brain.

In particular, researchers found an increased relationship in the left temporal cortex, a part of the brain that is usually associated with language comprehension. The researchers also found increased connectivity in the central sulcus of the brain, the primary sensory region that helps the brain visualize movement. Imagine you are diving in a loose blue sea, accompanied by colorful fish and covered by a stretch of beautiful coral reefs that stand firm. The sensation that you feel (and think about) is like you're really diving, right? The same process also occurs when you imagine yourself as a character in a book: You can empathize with the emotions they feel.

This was further proven in a study by Matthijs Bal and Martijn Verltkamp, still in the same year. Both investigate emotional transportation, which can show how a person can be very sensitive to other people's feelings. Bal and Verlampamp assess the emotions carried by asking participants to share the stories they read can to what extent affect them emotionally on a five-point scale. For example, how they feel when the main characters achieve success, and how they feel sorry or sad for the character.

In the study, empathy only appeared in groups of people who read fiction and who were carried away by the storyline emotionally. Meanwhile, the group of participants who did not like reading showed a decrease in empathy.

Classical literature and Harry Potter

Especially for readers of classical literature, their brains show a higher level of empathy when compared to readers of modern literature.

Classical literature requires the reader to dissect more in each character, because classical writers concoct characters with determinants that are more complex, humane, ambiguous, and more difficult to understand. The process of understanding the characters, emotions brought, and the motives behind each of their actions is the same in human relations with each other in the real world.

The innate emotional principle found by Bal and Verltkamp was also further examined in a study chaired by Loris Vezalli in 2014. He and a number of other researchers found that fans of the Harry Potter series tended to be wiser and more tolerant people in life, according to a study published in The Journal of Applied Social Psychology (2014).

After conducting three different studies in different groups of participants, researchers can conclude that JK Rowling's books have succeeded in sharpening the ability of readers to have a broader perspective on immigrant cases and marginalized groups, including deeper understanding and empathy towards LGBT groups and acts of hatred (bigot) in the real world that are published in the media the mainstream.

In short, readers of the fiction literature are the best people to make friends, because they tend to be more sensitive and can engage with other people's emotions.

People who don't like reading risk having brain disease

This is one of the benefits of books that are often missed by those who are unwilling to read books.

Reading can provide calm and reduce blood pressure; presents an alternative imaginary world as a temporary escape from real world problems. Therefore, reading books can prevent someone from experiencing stress and depression.

In addition, reading is the same as training one's concentration and focus so that it can make it easier for them to do multitasking and sharpen brain power in the ability to remember and analyze. Therefore, people who are diligent in reading are known to have a far lower risk of various types of brain diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

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