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What is it that makes us feel in tune with another person? Is it a pheromone signature released into the atmosphere that triggers a subliminal message to form an attachment? Perhaps, but it is certainly an ability to mirror another person’s brain activity.
As the Beach Boys once sang about picking up good vibrations, we are all able to detect similar thought processes in those around us. Neuroscientists refer to this phenomenon as Brain Coupling, and it only gets stronger the more time you spend in each other’s company. It is a quantifiable, measurable and experimentally validated effect.
Dr Uri Hasson, at Princeton University, recorded data from fMRI scans of volunteers as they engaged in normal activities such as watching movies or listening to stories. Not only were his team able to extrapolate interesting facts about how we process information over time, but they were also shown incredible evidence of brain coupling.
When we relate to another person on a deep level, brain activity literally synchronises. Scans of people with close relationships showed that while one of the pair told a story and the other listened, the same regions of the brain fired in synchronous patterns, even though those activities are fundamentally different — speaking versus listening.