Abstract

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Keywords:: mirror neuron; embodied simulation; mind-reading; embodied cognition

Abstract:: Mirror neurons are a new class of visuomotor neurons in the premotor cortex of monkeys. These neurons fire both when an animal executes a goal-directed act and when the animal perceives the same kind of act being performed by a conspecific or by a human experimenter. Researches by TMS and FMRI provide evidence that there is mirror neuron system in human premotor cortex that has similar function like that of monkey’s. Mirror neuron system in human brain is the neural-physiological foundation of embodied simulation. The fact that mirror neurons fire in both execution and observation shows that simulation processes are actually a kind of reuse of motor systems. The reason why we can understand others’ behavior(or why we can read others’ mind)is that we may simulate others’ experiences by mirror neuron systems. By embodied simulation, we match others’ behavior with our own and thus mind-reading becomes possible.