These special brain cells help us recognize what others are feeling and what other people's intentions might be in certain situations. Professor Christian Keysers has been studying the brain and how different regions become active when we view actions and facial expressions. He calls these mirror neurons, “shared circuits”. Dr. Keysers found that the postcentral gyrus, also called the somatosensory cortex, becomes active not only when we are being touched, but if we see someone else being touched.
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Dr. Keyser and his team found that the insular cortex is active when you are feeling disgusted and when you see a disgusted expression on someone’s face.
He calls these mirror neurons, “shared circuits”. This means that your sensations and feelings match the person you are viewing or reading about and you can imagine what you would have felt or done in the same situation. These brain cells connect with other areas of our brain, including the frontal lobe. The activation of the mirror neurons helps us understand other people’s situations, feelings, and motives. This process is called empathy.
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