Chemical Romance: Why Your Brain Falls in Love with Stories

Humans love a good story. From the dawn of time—think cave paintings and oral traditions—to the modern methods of seeing a movie or being absorbed by a good book, the power of stories captivates, motivates, and creates a strong bond between memory and content. After all, you could easily recite the plot of your favorite childhood book to a friend, but you might struggle to regurgitate that listicle you read online yesterday.

That’s because stories are about more than just plot and characters. Hearing a story actually, causes fundamental reactions in the brain that increase memory and even improve chances at changed behavior. At ELM, we know that storytelling is king, which is why we rely on its powers time and time again. Understanding how the brain reacts to a good story makes all the difference in telling a tale of chemical romance, active neurons, and learned empathy.