The benefits of learning through reading over learning through watching videos

As we go on a self-led retreat, we want to discover new truths, learn new patterns, acquire new habits. Today, we have diverse tools and media for learning and acquiring knowledge and information. A more traditional way includes learning through reading. A modern and complementary path to various learning processes and gathering information is learning through watching videos. Which one is better?

Reading vs. watching videos

Learning through reading gives us in-depth knowledge of a subject. In contrast, watching videos is more of an introductory or demonstrative way of acquiring information. As an example, while watching YouTube videos, we don’t get advanced knowledge. More complex subjects can’t be easily shown, and watchers will need hands-on experience or detailed written instructions.

Videos on various platforms and media have limitations and need to follow their rules and terms. Usually, they are created for a specific audience based on criteria such as likability or other reasons. Viewers experience instant gratification without engaging themselves in critical, deep thinking. Watching videos is a passive process. Their creators usually dominate the whole experience.

When reading books, on the other hand, we are more in control of the entire experience. We can easily consume the content at our reading speed. We can quickly scan, revise, or repeat any part of the text as many times as we want. Reading is a slower process, and it helps us retain information for a longer period of time. It affects our long-term memory while watching videos affects our short-term memory. The latter means the retention of limited amounts of information for a limited time.

Reading improves imagination and activates various parts of the brain

In the process of reading books, we can actively engage our imagination. We can use our senses and create mental imagery and scenes thus improving our visualization skills. If we read, as an example, an adventure or travel literature, our minds can transport us to the various historical timelines, places, and cultures. We allow the author or narrator to guide us through various descriptions of landscapes and narratives.

In a 2006 study, researchers found how reading words related to odors, smells, and scents activates the brain regions associated with the sense of smell. They used the modern neuro-imaging technique (functional MRI) to scan the brain of participants as they were reading words such as cinnamon, garlic, and others that are neutral or show strong associations with odor.

Other studies show us that reading phrases related to texture or perceiving it through touch activates the sensory cortex – the part of our brain that receives and interprets sensory information from different parts of the body. Also, other studies reveal that reading words related to motion stimulates the motor cortex that is involved in the body’s movements. Reading those descriptive details feels like going through the experience of it in real life. The fact is, that the same neurological regions are activated in both cases. Our brain doesn’t distinguish between reading about an experience and directly experiencing it. This is why we feel alive when reading empowering self-help books. Such books usually include mental rehearsals, visualizations, practices, and techniques that lead us to self-actualization and personal growth.

Gaining knowledge through reading unlocks the powers of our mind. When we read e.g., how to improve a certain skill, we create an experience in our mind. It is a vital part of the learning process and mental rehearsal. In this way, we imagine ourselves performing a skill in our mind thus improving our performance, cognitive thinking patterns, and internal states.

When we read, our consciousness broadens. We can be observers and understand other people’s perspectives. This position opens our minds and helps us learn from the experiences of others. Our creative self awakens, and we can more easily visualize our future self, set goals, and achieve them. A self-guided retreat that encompasses a lot of reading and writing naturally pushes us towards our unique transformational journey.

Learning through reading improves emotional and cognitive intelligence

When we imagine ourselves living through an author’s experience, we can better understand why and how they feel, think, and behave the way they do. It puts us in someone else’s shoes. It leads us to further introspection and development. As a result, we can improve our communication skills, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and better manage our emotions.

When we read a life-changing motivational book, we can connect with an author or the content emotionally. Our sense of inspiration towards the subject helps us retain a lot of information. In turn, our emotional responses encode memories more strongly. Also, emotions help us retrieve information from memory efficiently. Encoding represents the initial learning of information. It is a process of converting information into a construct that can be stored and recalled later from the brain.

A self-led retreat gives us plenty of time to reflect on our written assignments. We can ask ourselves powerful questions such as “What have I learned from that past experience that I failed to realize before?” or “What and how can I learn better?” We become more aware of our needs, goals, motivation, and ways of learning.

In 2017 Tyng and other researchers concluded that our seeking system is important in facilitating processes of learning and memory. The brain’s seeking system is the emotional system responsible for our goal-oriented behaviors and survival. It encourages us to explore, learn, and find meaning. When we follow our seeking system, then our brain releases dopamine, and we experience pleasure. Dopamine is connected to motivation and reward. The seeking system creates positive states such as enthusiasm, hopefulness, positive expectation thus initiating and activating learning, memory, and cognitive activities.

The question is: What are you seeking? A self-led retreat gives you plenty of time to find an answer.

Reading reduces stress and improves focus and concentration

Have you ever read an amazing book and couldn’t put it down until you reached the last word?

If your answer is yes, then you know the great impact of such a book on your entire being. If your answers are no or I’m not sure, then a self-guided retreat vacation can lead you toward this transformative experience.

When we lose ourselves in a good book, we forget about stress and worries. Better yet if it is a personal development book that inspires us to improve our life. We are completely focused on the page content. In this way, we tune out all the external distractions and improve our concentration. We feel with our entire being what the characters/author are going through. Our imagination and creativity flourish. In our minds, we may become like shapeshifters who experience the world through the eyes of the author or other characters. Reading even for a few minutes a day helps readers slow heart rate and reduce muscle tension. Moreover, reading improves other language skills like writing, spelling, vocabulary, etc.

If you still hesitate between reading or watching videos as a learning tool, consider the following:

• How do you like to learn? (Are you the linguistic, the naturalistic, the musical, the bodily-kinesthetic, the visual-spatial, the logical-mathematical, the interpersonal, or the intrapersonal learner?)
• What content/skill/lesson are you trying to learn? (Ex., a yoga practice would be much more fun and clearer following a video lesson rather than reading book instructions. On the other hand, to study yoga philosophy, you might prefer a book.)
• What is the purpose of this specific learning process? Why do you want to study this particular topic? (Ex., is it for entertainment or to receive in-depth knowledge?)

 

In conclusion, reading is one of the best tools for learning and helping us store information in long-term memory. It gives us more control over the content and leads us to develop more skills. It invites us to go on an adventure by activating our imagination and senses. The reading process also calms us down, immerses us into silence, creates a kind of a meditative flow state. Above all, it helps us develop a growth mindset to be the best version of ourselves.

 

References

González, J., Barros-Loscertales, A., Pulvermüller, F., Meseguer, V., Sanjuán, A., Belloch, V., & Avila, C. (2006). Reading cinnamon activates olfactory brain regions. NeuroImage, 32(2), 906–912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.03.037

Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 1454. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01454