Brain Rules for Baby (John Medina) / quote 61 of 91
Mirror neurons and empathy
These so-called mirror neurons are scattered across the brain like tiny cellular asteroids. We recruit them, in concert with memory systems and emotional processing regions, when we encounter another person’s experiences. Neurons with mirrorlike properties come in many forms, researchers think. In my case, I was experiencing the mirrors most closely associated with extremity pain. I was also activating motor neurons that governed my arm’s desire to withdraw from a painful situation. Many other mammals appear to have mirror neurons, too. In fact, mirror neurons initially were discovered by Italian researchers trying to figure out how monkeys picked up raisins. The researchers noticed that certain brain regions became activated not only when monkeys picked up raisins but also when they simply watched others pick up raisins. The animals’ brains “mirrored” the behavior. In humans, the same neural regions are activated not only when you tear a piece of paper and when you see Aunt Martha tearing a piece of paper—but also if you hear the words “Aunt Martha is tearing a piece of paper.” It’s like having a direct internal link to another person’s psychological experience. Mirror neurons permit you to understand an observed action by experiencing it firsthand, even though you’re not. Sounds a lot like empathy. Mirror neurons may also be profoundly involved in both the ability to interpret nonverbal cues, particularly facial expressions, and the ability to understand someone else’s intentions. This second talent falls under an umbrella of skills called Theory of Mind, which we’ll describe in detail in the Moral chapter. Some researchers think Theory of Mind skills are the engines behind empathy.