When a storyteller interweaves description with emotion, a study suggests his or her brain activity becomes synchronized with the audience
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Greatest Storyteller Of Them All – Analysis
In a recent study, a storyteller and her audience were hooked up to MRI brain scanners. When the region of the brain associated with processing emotion lit up in the storyteller, so did the audience’s. And when the region associated with higher-level thought activated for the storyteller, the audience’s brains showed similar signals. The similarities in brain activity suggest the performer and audience connected on an emotional level to go along with the information exchange. However, this synchronization was unsuccessful when the storyteller performed in Russian, which she understood but the audience did not, suggesting the meaning of the story itself had a significant impact.
Another study demonstrated storytelling can aid in learning by encouraging students to connect with material on a personal level
TL;DR
Storytelling promotes emotional transfer, greater information retention, and increased connectivity among communicators.