Can reading help heal us and process our emotions – or is that just a story we tell ourselves?

Thu, 2 Feb 2023 10:22:28 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/can-reading-help-heal-us-and-process-our-emotions-or-is-that-just-a-story-we-tell-ourselves-197789>

"The oldest known library, dating back to the second millennium BC, in Thebes,
Egypt, reportedly bore a sign above its portals in Greek: Psyches Iatreion,
translated as “healing place of the soul”.

The idea that reading may confer healing benefits is not new, but continues to
intrigue readers and researchers.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to reading about how to put up the tent, or tidy
our piles of household stuff. When we talk about books that might offer a balm
for the soul, we mean fiction, poetry and narrative non-fiction (including
memoir).

The idea of emotional catharsis through reading is intuitively appealing. But
does it work that way? Or do we read for interest, pleasure, escapism – or love
of words?"

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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