# brain behav: a hypothesis of 'loss of self' when they have to assume a 'fictional perspective'

In a functional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) study, AA << sought to identify brain regions preferentially activated when actors adopt a Fic1P (fictional first-person) perspective during dramatic role playing. >>

<< Compared to responding as oneself, responding in character produced global reductions in brain activity and, particularly, deactivations in the cortical midline network of the frontal lobe, including the dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. Thus, portraying a character through acting seems to be a deactivation-driven process, perhaps representing a 'loss of self'. >>

Steven Brown, Peter Cockett, Ye Yuan. The neuroscience of Romeo and Juliet: an fMRI study of acting. Royal Society Open Science. Mar 13, 2019 doi:.10.1098/rsos.181908

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.181908

<< It is often said that great actors lose themselves in their roles, and now a brain activity study shows that is more than just a turn of phrase. >>

Chelsea Whyte. Brain scans reveal actors lose their sense of self when acting a role. March 13, 2019.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2196303-brain-scans-reveal-actors-lose-their-sense-of-self-when-acting-a-role/amp/