Why We Love Stories: The Narrative Brain

Stories have always been a part of our lives.

A group of prehistoric humans gathers around a fire, listening intently to a storyteller. In the background, cave walls are adorned with paintings depicting hunting scenes and daily life. The warm glow of the fire creates an atmosphere of intimacy and wonder, capturing the origins of human storytelling.

From tales of princesses and dragons to legends told around the hearth and now to TV series that keep us glued to screens, stories transport us to fascinating worlds. But why are stories so captivating? How do these seemingly simple narratives make us feel the characters’ emotions as if they were our own? What brain mechanisms make us lose track of the surrounding reality? What is the “narrative brain,” and why are stories much more than just words or images to our minds?

The Magic of the Narrative Brain

Our amazing brain loves stories, and for good reason. Throughout human development, stories have been essential to survival. For example, in prehistoric times, stories were a way to share critical information about food sources, avoid predators, or respect communal values. What evidence do we have that humans have been storytellers since the dawn of history?

An artistic depiction of cave paintings showing animals and hunting scenes that seem to come alive. The textured rocks and mystical glow highlight the power of visual storytelling in prehistoric times. This illustration symbolizes how early narratives were conveyed through cave art.

• Cave Art (Rock Paintings)

At Lascaux (France) and Altamira (Spain), cave paintings are considered the earliest forms of visual storytelling — a sort of prehistoric storyboard. These depict scenes of…