Science-backed reasons reading fantasy is great for you

I love fantasy! I worship the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter as much as anyone else. And I am always recommending Jade City, Rage of Dragons, and Discworld to whoever will listen. And of course, I dedicate so many hours of my life writing stories in this genre.

But when I proclaim my love of fantasy, I often get this response: isn’t reading fantasy a waste of time? If you have wondered or have been asked the same, here I am going to give you 5 scientifically proven reasons on why reading fantasy is great for you.

1. To activate creative parts of your brain

The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge
Albert Einstein

As we grow older, our brains stop being able to be creative. Unfortunately, our education system rewards rote learning and following precedents. However, when we enter the real world, problems are unique and require innovative solutions. And innovation requires the ability to think freely, untethered by what is conventional or what already exists.MRI scans on readers’ brains and other studies have shown that reading triggers and exercises under-used parts of the brain. Reading fantasy exercises our ability to suspend disbelief, a valuable skill to develop creative problem solving. Which may also explain why fiction inspired so many real life inventions.

2. To release happy hormones

What we perceive as pleasure is our body releasing different chemicals. The most well known “happy hormone” is dopamine. It gives us immediate, intense zaps of happiness when we act quickly, take risks, and seek novelty. However, the least well known is acetylcholine. This also rewards us, but its effects are more subtle — it makes us relaxed, alert, and content. Today, social media, video games and sugar laced food overstimulates our dopamine receptors. It reduces our ability to derive pleasure from small joys affecting our mental state.

Reading is one of the few pleasurable activities that releases acetylcholine rather than dopamine. By reading, you are allowing your dopamine receptors to rest, while still feeling happy and calm. Allowing our dopamine receptors to rest makes us more sensitive to pleasurable experiences and allows us to be more content in our daily lives and not engaging in self-destructive behaviours. Reading right before sleep makes me feel content and relieved after a day full of stressful work.

3. To learn new subjects fast

Several studies show children remember information better when we teach them through stories that contain fantasy. I have referenced a study that compared vocabulary retention between a set of children who read fantasy and those who read realistic stories. The ones who learnt through fantasy stories could remember the meanings of words better than the other set. So if you are looking for a way to improve your grasp of history, geography or a new language, try reading fantasy set in that world or read fantasy books written in that language. Might also explain how I still remember the spells in Harry Potter, but still don’t know my passport number.

4. To create an optimistic worldview

Fantasy has a dark side to it. It also has a light hemisphere – the power of the human imagination to keep going, to imagine a better tomorrow.
Tim O’Brien

Almost every fantasy story ends with good triumphing over evil. And the best fantasy stories can take characters (and with them, the readers) to the depth of despair before rising out triumphant. Life throws many challenges at us, and the ability to imagine a positive outcome is a significant advantage for working on long-term goals. It turns out that an optimistic attitude helps us be happier, more successful, and healthier. Optimism can protect against depression and stress – even those who are at risk for it. I remember how watching Naruto and reading Harry Potter helped me stay motivated through the tough years of entrance coaching.

5. To healthily escape from daily life struggles

Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it.
Lloyd Alexander

Let’s face it. No matter how successful you are, daily life is usually monotonous, and drudgery is the name of the game. To escape once in a while allows you to better manage stress and boredom. You can do it through playing video games, taking vacations or watching tv. Some also choose to do it by indulging in alcohol, drugs, or gambling. But of all the ones mentioned, reading may be the healthiest and least expensive method to do this. And reading fantasy with its other worldly settings and magic, can give you the furthest escape. Trust me, washing dishes seems much easier when I am listening to an awesome audiobook while doing it.

Conclusion

So, the next time someone tells you to not read fantasy, I armed you with reasons to justify yourself. I have put my references in the links below in case you are curious. Not that you need any scientific justification to do something that is so pleasurable yet harmless.

And if you don’t read fantasy, then hopefully these 5 reasons can convince you to start. My next post will help you find entry points to get started. If you already love fantasy do subscribe in the link below to get free stories and monthly fantasy and sci-fi recommendations.