Key Takeaways
There’s a reason people wince when they see depictions of painful events
The brain’s vision system contains a baked-in map of the body
These connections trigger echoes of touch sensations based on what a person is witnessing
kAm%&t$sp*[ s64] a[ a_ad Ww62=E9s2J }6HDX — tG6C H@?56C H9J J@F :?DE:?4E:G6=J H:?46 H96? J@F D66 A9JD:42= 92C> 4@>6 E@ 2 %' @C >@G:6 492C24E6C @? D4C66?nk^Am
kAm%96C6’D 2 D4:6?E:7:4 6IA=2?2E:@? 7@C H9J H6 7=:?49 H96? H2E49:?8 A2:?7F= 6G6?ED[ 6G6? E9@F89 H6 <?@H :E’D ?@E C62=[ C6D62C496CD C6A@CE65 }@G] ae :? E96 ;@FC?2= k6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2EFC6]4@>^2CE:4=6D^Dc`dge\_ad\_hfhe\_Qm}2EFC6k^2mk^6>m]k^Am
kAmxE EFC?D @FE E92E DF49 D46?6D 24E:G2E6 9:556? =:?<D 36EH66? E96 A2CED @7 E96 3C2:? E92E AC@46DD G:D:@? 2?5 E@F49[ C6D62C496CD 7@F?5]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F H2E49 D@>6@?6 36:?8 E:4<=65 @C 86EE:?8 9FCE[ 2C62D @7 E96 3C2:? E92E AC@46DD E@F49 =:89E FA :? A2EE6C?D E92E >2E49 E96 3@5J A2CE :?G@=G65[” =625 C6D62C496C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^C6D62C49]C625:?8]24]F<^4:??^?:4<\96586C^Qm}:49@=2D w6586Ck^2m[ 2 =64EFC6C H:E9 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 #625:?8’D r6?E6C 7@C x?E68C2E:G6 }6FC@D4:6?46 2?5 }6FC@5J?2>:4D :? q6C<D9:C6[ t?8=2?5[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6] p=@?8 H:E9 w6586C[ C6D62C496CD 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 :? |:??62A@=:D 2?5 p>DE6C52>[ %96 }6E96C=2?5D H@C<65 @? E96 DEF5J]k^Am
kAm“*@FC 3C2:? >2AD H92E J@F D66 @?E@ J@FC @H? 3@5J[ ’D:>F=2E:?8’ 2 E@F49 D6?D2E:@? 6G6? E9@F89 ?@E9:?8 A9JD:42= 92AA6?65 E@ J@F[” w6586C D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 DEF5J[ C6D62C496CD 2?2=JK65 |#x 3C2:? D42?D E2<6? @7 `fc A6@A=6 H9:=6 E96J H2E4965 >@G:6D =:<6 Qk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C@EE6?E@>2E@6D]4@>^>^E96\D@4:2=\?6EH@C<Qm%96 $@4:2= }6EH@C<k^2mQ 2?5 Qk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C@EE6?E@>2E@6D]4@>^>^:?46AE:@?Qmx?46AE:@?k^2m]Qk^Am
kAmqC2:? C68:@?D @C:8:?2==J E9@F89E E@ AC@46DD @?=J G:D:@? C6DA@?565 E@ >@G:6 D46?6D :?G@=G:?8 E@F49[ C6D62C496CD 7@F?5]k^Am
kAmuFCE96C[ E96D6 C6DA@?D6D C67=64E65 D6?D2E:@?D @? E96 G:6H6C’D @H? 3@5J] tDD6?E:2==J[ H92E 2 A6CD@? D2H EC:886C65 649@6D @7 E@F49]k^Am
kAmxE EFC?D @FE E96C6 2C6 >2AD @7 E96 3@5J 32<65 :?E@ 9F>2?D’ G:DF2= DJDE6>D[ 2==@H:?8 2 566A 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? G:D:@? 2?5 E@F49[ C6DF=ED D9@H]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 4C@DD\E2=< H@C<D :? E96 @E96C 5:C64E:@? E@@[” w6586C D2:5] “u@C 6I2>A=6[ H96? J@F ?2G:82E6 E@ E96 32E9C@@> :? E96 52C<[ E@F49 D6?D2E:@?D 96=A J@FC G:DF2= DJDE6> 4C62E6 2? :?E6C?2= >2A @7 H96C6 E9:?8D 2C6[ 6G6? H:E9 >:?:>2= G:DF2= :?AFE] %9:D ‘7:==:?8 :?’ C67=64ED @FC 5:776C6?E D6?D6D 4@@A6C2E:?8 E@ 86?6C2E6 2 4@96C6?E A:4EFC6 @7 E96 H@C=5]”k^Am
kAm%9:D 5:D4@G6CJ 4@F=5 EC2?D7@C> @FC F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 4@?5:E:@?D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]962=E952J]4@>^2\E@\K\962=E9^49:=5\962=E9^9@H\:D\2FE:D>\5:28?@D65\aQm2FE:D>k^2m[ :? H9:49 A6@A=6 C6DA@?5 5:776C6?E=J E@ A9JD:42= 4@?E24E[ w6586C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“|2?J E96@C:6D DF886DE E92E :?E6C?2==J D:>F=2E:?8 H92E H6 D66 96=AD FD F?56CDE2?5 @E96C A6@A=6VD 6IA6C:6?46D[ 2?5 E96D6 AC@46DD6D >2J H@C< 5:776C6?E=J :? 2FE:DE:4 A6@A=6[” w6586C D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%C25:E:@?2= D6?D@CJ E6DED 2C6 6I92FDE:?8[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C 49:=5C6? @C A6@A=6 H:E9 4=:?:42= 4@?5:E:@?D[” w6586C 4@?E:?F65] “(6 42? ?@H >62DFC6 E96D6 3C2:? >6492?:D>D H9:=6 D@>6@?6 D:>A=J H2E496D 2 7:=>[ @A6?:?8 FA ?6H A@DD:3:=:E:6D 7@C C6D62C49 2?5 5:28?@D:D]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 ~C68@? 92D >@C6 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@A6?E6IE]F@C68@?]65F^?6FC@3:@=@8J^492AE6C^G:D:@?\46?EC2=\AC@46DD:?8^QmG:D:@? AC@46DD:?8 :? E96 3C2:?k^2m]k^Am
kAm$~&#rti &?:G6CD:EJ @7 #625:?8[ ?6HD C6=62D6[ }@G] ae[ a_adk^Am
k9amkDEC@?8m(92E %9:D |62?D u@C *@Fk^DEC@?8mk^9am
kAm#624E:?8 E@ :>286D @7 A2:? :D A2CE @7 2 4@>A=6I 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? 3C2:? C68:@?D E92E AC@46DD G:D:@? 2?5 E@F49]k^Am
