Mirror neurons: the neurological basis of empathy

The Macaque Monkey Experiment

The discovery of mirror neurons in the 1990s was revolutionary.

It was made by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and his team while studying the brains of macaque monkeys. They observed an extraordinary phenomenon.

Definition: neurons that fire when performing an action and when watching another monkey perform it

They discovered that certain neurons in the monkey's brain fired when the monkey itself performed an action, such as grabbing an object.

But the surprising thing was that these same neurons also fired when the monkey watched another monkey perform the same action.

The monkey's brain ''mirrored'' the other monkey's action.

The mirror neuron network in humans

Later, it was confirmed that humans also have mirror neurons. In fact, in our brains, the network of areas with mirror properties is much broader.

These cells are the neurological basis of empathy and imitation.

Function: Imitation as the basis of learning and social norms

Imitation is a fundamental learning mechanism. In order to imitate, our brain needs to adopt the other person's point of view.

This ability to reflect the actions and emotions of others is astonishing.

It allows us to understand their intentions and feel what they feel, demonstrating that we are biologically designed for empathy.

Summary

The discovery of mirror neurons arose from an experiment on macaque monkeys in the 1990s, led by neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti. During the study, they observed that certain neurons were activated not only when the monkey performed an action, but also when it saw another monkey do so, as if its brain were internally imitating the observed behavior. This finding was later extended to humans, where an even more complex network of mirror neurons was discovered. These cells allow us to understand the actions and emotions of others, and are considered the neurological basis of empathy and imitation. Thanks to this network, we are able to learn socially, adopting the point of view of others. Mirror neurons make it possible for us to feel what others feel, imitate their behaviors, and understand their intentions. They are biological evidence that we are hardwired to connect emotionally.