Give the brain a workout

In the article "Reading gives brain a workout" (ST 6 June 17) there is mention of the concept of 'schema' in psychology which is 'organising the world inside your head, according to the patterns you have learnt in your everyday life'. This includes what you pick up from reading.

Professor Annabel Chen, a neuropsychologist at NTU said "It is likely that the novel transported the reader into the body of the protagonist, thus tricking the mind into thinking it is doing something it is not, a phenomenon also known as embodied cognition". I can relate to this statement. Reading an engaging novel can sometimes make me dream about it at night wherein I was one of the characters. This was especially so in my teenage years. I was a Han Su Yin fan and loved her books where the setting is China in the early 20th century. The historical turmoil described was so real to me that I often wondered whether my past life was in China.

Prof Chen went on to elaborate that reading requires visual imagery amongst other things and can provide a 'short escape' from our daily routine depending on our 'level of suggestibility'. I think for me this level is pretty high. Even now as I conduct story telling sessions for the children at the Library words and drama come to me quite spontaneously to spice up the stories. This is because as I tell the story I seem to be able to visualise the story rolling out like a film in my mind.

Coming back to the discussion on 'schema' it is therefore important to read more widely so as not to be stuck with a biased or narrow framework upon which we understand the world. For instance  Han Su Yin was a leftist who was very prejudiced against the KMT and Chiang Kai Shek. I was so influenced by her and not having taken the trouble to read any material from the KMT's perspective I have an aversion towards Taiwan and deferred visiting the country for a long time. (Lame right?) Personally I also feel that knowing the teachings of just one religion is dangerous. Education in school should provide basic concepts of major religions so that people are equipped with a framework to understand the world around them.

This is especially so for people like me whose level of suggestibility is high. If I had bothered to acquaint myself to the positive deeds of the KMT I would not have missed all the great things that Taiwan has to offer. The part of my brain that stores the schema on Taiwan needs a workout!