Angela Caroline Abraham

Angela Abraham is the leading authority on Social Evolution and is CEO of literary platform Descriptionari. She speaks realistically of a sustainable future and has spoken at events in Dubai, Prague, London (House of Lords) and Brussels (EU Parliament) to audiences of ambassadors, political leaders, youth leaders and Hollywood executives.

The Marvel-lous School of Neurology & Holistic Sustainable Health

Storytelling is our neurology at play, yet it evolved in order to develop sustainable societies. Love vs. emotional indifference is humanity’s epic battle, learning to become less “Hulk” and more “Dr Banner.” Moreover, as we emulate fictional heroic role-models, we develop our prefrontal cortex, gaining greater empathy, logic and self control. Thus neurologically aware storytelling enhances sustainability and changes lives.

For too long, the ability for literacy to change lives had been defined within the narrow parameters of economic benefit. Yet creative storytelling is perhaps the greatest technology of mankind for bringing peace and social stability. It achieves this as an essential part of our biological feedback systems both internally and externally. Creative fiction is our neurology at play, and this play has a biological purpose to change lives. Whether we look at the old Cherokee legend of “The Two Wolves,” or toward “The Incredible Hulk vs. Dr Banner,” we see our neurology instructing us on how to build the more highly evolved areas of the brain and not the primitive “survivalist” areas. These stories show how to take advantage of neuroplasticity to become “the angels of our better nature.” As we read, listen to or watch a story, our mirror neurons fire up, enabling us to learn from the characters. As we follow our fictional role-models in a story, observing how they make micro-choices for empathy (as opposed to emotional indifference), we gain a greater ability to do the same. With each choice made with empathy we build up one of the most highly evolved areas of the brain (the vmPFC). This area of the brain (along with the dlPFC) is essential in all the traits humanity needs to build a positive socially complex society – creativity, empathy, self control and good logical decision making. Thus, with greater awareness of how storytelling and reading are part of the neuro-bio-social-environmental sphere of health and wellness, we can have the kind of peace and sustainability in which all are healthy. After all, finance is a form of creative numerical fiction, but the role of creative fiction in the evolution of mankind is a matter of science and immutable facts.