Wincing at the sight of a movie character slowly stepping on a nail or slamming his fingers on a car door is an experience that all of us can relate to. When we see people get hurt on screen, we usually have a physical reaction, even if we are in the comfort of our own home.
The reason for these reactions has puzzled scientists for decades. But a new study published in NatureI may have found the answer. When watching a movie, our brain doesn't just visually process the information on the screen—it simulates what we see, causing the sensations to be reflected throughout the body.
“When you watch someone being tickled or hurt, areas of the brain involved in touching light up in a pattern that matches the corresponding body part,” said Nicholas Hedger, lead author of the study, in the report. press release. “Your brain maps what you see onto your own body, ‘simulating’ the sensation of touch, even if nothing physical has happened to you.”
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Why do we flinch when watching movies?
According to this study, vision and touch are much more closely related than previously thought. To discover this connection, the researchers analyzed brain activity 174 different people while they were watching different movies.
This analysis showed that our sense of touch is activated by what we see. When watching movies, the areas of our brain that process touch are activated in a very specific way. These areas not only light up, but also act as if we were being physically touched, rather than just watching the touch happen on a screen.
The research team calls this connection a kind of sensory “map” that helps the brain process visual and sensory signals. The connection also works in both directions: our sense of touch activates the visual areas of our brain in low-visibility situations.
“This crosstalk works in the other direction as well. For example, when you move around a bathroom in the dark, the sensations of touch help your visual system create an internal map of where things are, even with minimal visual input,” Hedger explained. “This ‘filling in’ reflects the interaction of our different senses to create a holistic picture of the world.”
Understanding the visual-sensory brain connection
Using data from their analysis, the researchers identified two specific ways in which what we see can cause sensory brain map.
In the higher regions of our visual system, the map matches what appears in our field of vision. For example, the part of the brain that processes sensations in the legs corresponds to the lower regions of the visual field, and the part that processes sensations in the face corresponds to the upper field.
In the lower parts of our visual system, sensations are associated with what parts of the body we look at. If you look at someone having a needle inserted into their arm, that part of your arm will “feel” the sensation.
Clinical applications of the brain-body map
While discovering new brain connections is exciting in itself, the researchers are especially excited about the clinical applications of their research.
Traditional sensory testing of neurodivergent people, especially autistic children — can be overwhelming and tiring. But if the brain's response to touch can be measured visually while watching a movie, medical professionals could replace stressful procedures with less invasive options.
“This discovery could change our understanding of conditions such as autism. We can now measure these brain mechanisms while someone is simply watching a movie, opening up new possibilities for research and diagnosis,” Hedger said.
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