Benefits Of Reading: New Worlds To Discover

Reading is a gift. It enriches us, excites us, and transports us to other worlds. It is also an opportunity to grow, feel empathy with and discover new perspectives. In this article, we will explore some of the benefits of reading.

A book is something that can take us to so many new places, and yet it is one of the least valued treasures. It is an opportunity to meet new people, see other perspectives, and visit other worlds. It really is one of the best gifts for anyone who knows how to appreciate it and the best companion to help us with all life situations.

Reading opens a door to endless possibilities: magical universes, stories from the past, and futuristic views. It is the key that can open the lock to uncertainty, and give us inspiration for life. It can fill us with emotions that remind us that we are truly alive!

Immersing ourselves in a sea of ​​letters is an experience that rarely leaves us indifferent. A book touches us, surprises us, makes us reflect, and can even change our lives.

Benefits of reading: Creating, building and understanding

A book nourishes us, asks questions and offers us new perspectives. Reading enriches us when we open all our senses to it. It is not the same to skim through a book quickly, because in that way we will never connect to what the author is trying to tell us through the pages of the book.

We can get into the minds of the characters and live out everything that happens to them, recreate the conversations in our heads and bring them to life. We can also learn more about different theories and concepts that the author tries to explain to us. Reading is all this, and more.

To read is to create, imagine, understand, feel empathy, and above all, build. It is a dialectical process between the author and the reader. 

Psychologists Paul Watzlawick and Marcelo Ceberio confirmed this in their book  The Construct of the Universe. They argued that reading and the reflection that followed were structured as a process of co-construction between the author and the reader.

It really is a work of art, where both participants get to know each other and build the product together – a product that is nothing more than a message with true values. 

Psychological benefits of reading

Reading is an open door to learning, which can lead us to exciting scenarios. It seduces and enriches us, and is nourishment for the brain. The fact is that reading strengthens mental processes such as memory, reason and perception. It really has an ability to “open our eyes”.

Psychologist Ignacio Morgado, director of the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona , confirms that reading activates certain areas of the brain:

• The occipital lobe and the temporal lobe recognize the meaning of words.
• The hippocampus and the temporal lobe  interpret the word and fill our heads with memories.
• The amygdala and other emotional areas are activated when we read sentimental texts. This is the case anyway and it is true stories or fiction.

• In addition, the front panel and working memory are activated when you try to understand what you have just read.

Reading helps people sleep

The University of Toronto recently published a study in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences . In it, they showed that reading fiction improves our empathy and other skills. This is because this genre creates a simulation of different social worlds in the reader’s head. As a result, there is a better understanding of social experiences and relationships. 

Furthermore, a study conducted by The Sleep Council showed that if you read for half an hour or an hour before going to bed, this can significantly reduce the accumulated stress. This is because reading is an activity that distracts the mind from worries and pressures from daily life. It offers a haven where you can feel free from all these stresses.

Benefits of reading: A better vocabulary

Another benefit that we can get when we read is a better vocabulary, especially if we read different literary genres. We create links between words we use orally and those we read. This enriches our vocabulary and indirectly our spelling. Nor can we forget the impact reading has on creativity, imagination and our emotional world.

A book is a quiet companion to whom we can build a relationship, and each link can transform us in so many ways. Reading gives us a refuge, transports us to other worlds, and expands our minds.