Reblog: Whatever You Do, Don't Put Down That Book... 5 Of The Best Reasons To Keep Reading

You can find the original post here, at OMG Facts.

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"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more things that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

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1. Reading retrains your brain

The structure of children's brains were studied by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University before and after 100 hours of intensive reading instruction and they noted that the amount of white matter (which improves communicative skills) increased significantly after the exercises. 

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2. What you read becomes a part of you

Ever had a moment where you can't remember if something happened to you or if you read it? According to Spanish researchers, the brain doesn't draw strong distinctions between the two events and allows us to feel as if we've actually experienced events we've only read about. 

Research at Emory University has also shown that when reading words or phrases related to smell or texture, the sensory cortex activated in the respective areas. 

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3. Different reading styles create different brain patterns

Researchers at Stanford University studied the brain activity of people closely reading and skimming portions of Jane Austen novels and noticed increased blood flow in different areas. So even all that skimming you do is helping your brain. 

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4. Reading makes you smarter

Many recent studies have seen improvement in all three types of intelligence (crystallized, fluid, and emotional) thanks to reading and author Dan Hurley swears by it's educational power. 

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5. Reading increases your empathy

As you read and relate to characters while reading fiction, you're also becoming more empathetic yourself. Researchers at The New School in NYC discovered that fiction readers were better at reading and understanding the emotions of others. 

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So for the sake of your brain, head on over to the library and read up!