The act of sharing a story is powerful. So much so that it synchronizes the brain activity of the teller and the listener.
“Your brain responses while listening become coupled to my brain responses, and slowly they become more similar to my brain responses,” said Uri Hasson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University.
This is called speaker-listener neural coupling
That’s why when we experience an emotionally-charged event or hear a story of the same nature, certain parts of our brain release excess dopamine, making it easier to remember something with greater accuracy.
It seems like the magnum opus of storytelling is thought manipulation (yes, I know this seems dangerous/evil, but can also be good).
Links:
- https://www.brainfacts.org/neuroscience-in-society/the-arts-and-the-brain/2021/why-the-brain-loves-stories-030421#:~:text=Stories%20Connect%20People%20%E2%80%94%20And%20Their%20Brains&text=%E2%80%9CYour%20brain%20responses%20while%20listening,and%20neuroscience%20at%20Princeton%20University.
- https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/the-neuroscience-of-storytelling/
- Research paper (neural coupling): https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1008662107
- Research paper (dopamine in memories): https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/39/40/7920.full.pdf