In his recent coauthored book Mirroring Brains, Giacomo Rizolatti, describes the brain’s mirroring property. He writes that “What we experience while watching someone executing an action or experiencing an emotion is similar, at least in part, to what we ourselves experience when executing that action or feeling that emotion.” The brain’s Mirror system allows us to understand the actions and intentions of others.
A mirror neuron has been defined as a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another
Since Rizolatti and his team of researchers discovered mirror neurons more than thirty years ago, there has been much controversy and widespread speculations over their function or even their existence.
Some researchers, such as Gregory Hickok or Patricia Churchland have argued that attributing too much focus on the capacity of single neuron is a mistake. Another mistake is to compare research on the brains of monkeys too closely with the brains of humans. Gregory Hickok also argues that systems in the brain that help us understand the actions and intentions of others are more complex than what some exaggerated studies suggest.
Amy Banks, formerly a professor at Harvard Medical School in her book Wired to Connect finds it more accurate to focus on a brainwide mirroring system rather than specific mirror neurons”
Rizzolatti himself admits to an error of perspective from their earlier studies that focused too heavily on the premotor cortex or parietal lobe. Since their first discovery, mirroring properties have also been discovered in other brain regions, such as the amygdala, insula and cingulate gyrus.
Some studies have found that botox, which deadens the nerves of the face, decreases the ability to understand the emotions of others because it decreases our capacity to mirror them ourselves.
Other studies have found that our insula is activated when we see another person experience an emotion such as disgust as if we are feeling the same emotion ourselves.
While there is disagreement on the theory, what we can all agree on is that if we can better understand how others act and intend, we can learn from them. Unless we develop our own capacity to understand and appreciate the actions of others, we will not have the empathy necessary to engage the world in love. Whether we fully understand how it works or not, when we offer kindness to others, our brain’s mirroring system can help us simultaneously create an inner feeling as if we are receiving the kindness ourselves. It is certain that researchers will better understand the mirroring property in the future. Until then, it will do us good to act and intend to be compassionate to one another.