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“That hurts just to watch!” – that’s what many of us think when we see other people suffering. Scientists at the University of Birmingham have investigated in a study how much truth there is in this winged saying. To do this, they showed videos of painful procedures to 100 test subjects. These showed, among other things, injections with syringes and bone fractures.
Our ability to empathize allows us to participate in the pain of others
The researchers found that viewing triggered emotional reactions in all participants. However, for a third of the participants, the experience went so far that they showed physical reactions. These were described by the participants as tingling or stinging. The participants also actually felt these physical reactions at the point where the pain was triggered in the video.
As part of the study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed on the participants. This makes it possible to visualize changes in the blood flow of brain areas that can be traced back to metabolic processes that are in turn related to neuronal activity. It was clearly shown that the brain area responsible for compassion was stimulated in all test subjects.
Particularly emphatic test subjects felt even – albeit minor – pain
In those who also showed physical reactions during the videos, the somatosensory cortex was also more active. This area of the brain is responsible for processing sensory impressions such as touch and pain. So it’s true – thanks to the human ability to empathize, it is quite possible to feel pain by “just watching”.
