In the early 1990’s, Giacomo Rizzolatti proposed the existence of mirror neurons. (He recently published Mirrors in the Brain, his book on the topic.) Simply explained, when we see another person performing an action or reacting in a certain way, and we feel like we are experiencing some of what they are feeling, it’s because — at least to some extent — the identical set of neurons fires in our brains.
These are often called “empathy neurons,” since they allow us to sense and share in someone else’s feelings. Not only do we “read” another person’s emotional state — his or her words, tone, gestures, and facial expressions — we actually take on some it. Getting inside your mate or rival’s head for example, is clearly an advantage, helping us to understand, empathize and predict what might happen next in a situation. We feel for others because we become the others. Obviously, the neurons are not perfect mirrors, or we’d all be feeling way too much.
Actors have learned to mimic the signs and indicators of emotional states that we then read and mirror. Part of the pleasure of watching a good performance must be that we experience, in a limited way, everything the actor does. For instance, if someone is fidgeting while confessing to an indiscretion, we (unconsciously) mentally mirror those body movements and emotional signs, and somehow that helps us understand that other person better. We understand them because, to some extent, we put ourselves in their shoes.
This effect extends to muscle movement. When we watch a dancer, or a basketball player, the part of our brain that controls these same muscles begins to fire. Obviously, years spent watching your favorite team doesn’t mean one can perform as well as the players — our brains do not absorb what they spent years training to accomplish — but some part of their experience is imparted, or mirrored, in the viewer. No wonder we like watching shows and sports! We are, in a neurological way, having the same experience as those in front of us.
I suspect this extends to watching movies in which the actors perform impossible feats thanks to CG trickery — our brains simulate the ecstatic experience of leaping over the bad guys and driving like a maniac. This might also explain some of the appeal of porn, though I suspect there are some other, more earthy biological circuits being triggered as well. But at the very least, when men see the endless hydraulic pumping in porn some of their neurons are “pumping” as well.
What about video games? I somehow doubt that our brains mirror the hopping and leaping of Mario, but in the more realistic action games, I suspect the lines get crossed, and the mirror neurons fire as we mow down zombies or shoot rival drug dealers.
As a sometime performer I wonder how much of what I do on stage is mirrored. Scientists claim that physical movement is commonly mirrored, but what about all the other stuff that we enjoy? When I sing, does everyone in the audience “sing” too? Mentally at least, it appears they do. The simulated and recreated feelings in a song performance are not just imparted through some intellectual understanding; instead, the audience members have the same feelings that I have, their vocal neurons firing with mine and yes, we become one hive mind. Sounds creepy, but that might be where the pleasure lies.
I wonder if music, if recordings without the visual component, transmit a portion of that too? Is it possible that the multitude of mental coordinates involved in our reaction to music (it’s way more than simply our ears) triggers some of these empathy neurons upon simply hearing a piece of music (especially vocal music)? Seeing a performance might create the strongest reaction, but perhaps other cultural streams carry some potent triggers as well. Maybe looking at pictures, photographs especially, do a similar thing? Pictures of loved ones are particularly potent: looking at a snapshot of a close friend or family member, I can read their anger, calm, sadness, happiness or deceitfulness. I experience that almost unconsciously, but I am conscious that I think I am “feeling” them — I translate these feelings as my love for them, or my closeness at least. No wonder people feel they “know” celebrities! They have, in some small way, all been Britney, Brad or Angelina.
