The Science of Storytelling: Why Your Brain Can't Tell the Difference
The Copywriter Column #212
Ever notice how you physically tense up during a movie chase scene? Or how you can almost taste a dessert being described in a novel?
It's not just your imagination… it's your mirror neurons at work.
While I’ve written about something similar before, I want to touch on it again because it’s that important in leveraging your ability to communicate with your target audience.
The Neuroscience Behind Stories
When we observe someone performing an action or experiencing an emotion, our brains activate the same neural pathways as if we were experiencing it ourselves.
These "mirror neurons" create a neurological bridge between observer and participant, effectively allowing us to feel what others feel.
In other words, your brain cannot tell the difference between you feeling an emotion and experiencing an emotion. Whether it’s your actual reality or not, your brain thinks it’s real.
Think back to that scene in "Manchester by the Sea" (2016) when Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) encounters his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams) on the street years after their shared tragedy.
As Randi breaks down, trying to apologize and reconnect while Lee remains paralyzed by grief, as the viewer, you don't just observe their pain — you can almost physically experience it.
Perhaps you find yourself holding your breath, feeling tightness in your chest, or begin to tear up as the raw emotional exchange unfolds.
Lee’s grief becomes your grief.
His emotional paralysis becomes your emotional paralysis.
And again, this isn't just emotional resonance. It's a neurological response happening at the cellular level.
From Entertainment to Marketing
As copywriters and marketers, understanding mirror neurons gives us a first-principles approach to why storytelling works:
Stories bypass logical resistance
When logic says, "I don't need another productivity app," story makes you feel the relief of finally conquering your chaotic inbox.Stories create visceral, embodied responses
When Apple shows someone diving with their waterproof watch rather than listing its technical specifications, your brain simulates that freedom and adventure.Stories let customers "pre-experience" transformation
The most effective weight loss ads don't just promise results – they let you vicariously experience the confidence of walking into a room and turning heads.
Think about the "Share a Coke" campaign.
Rather than telling us about refreshment, it showed moments of connection between friends and family, activating our mirror neurons around social bonding and joy.
We didn't just want the product. We wanted the experience our brains had already partially lived.
The Responsibility of Narrative Power
As Uncle Ben says, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
As marketers, we literally have the ability to make people feel things and to activate physical and emotional responses through words and images alone.
We can choose to:
Use storytelling to manipulate by triggering fear and insecurity
OR use it to illuminate genuine paths to transformation
The former might drive short-term sales, but the latter builds lasting relationships with customers who genuinely benefit from what we have to offer.
So next time you're writing copy, don't just think about what information to include. Think about what experience you want your reader to have.
What sensations should they feel?
What emotions should rise and fall?
What transformation should they vicariously experience?
Then craft your narrative to trigger those specific mirror neurons.
Once again, your customers' brains don't fully distinguish between reading about an experience and having it.
The stories you tell aren't just conveying information – they're creating neurological experiences that feel remarkably like reality.
Use that power wisely.
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