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My research with hundreds of students and thousands of audience
members has taught me that stories
are memorable because of the images
and emotions they contain. The lesson
of the story sticks because it’s embedded in an emotionally charged image.
Furthermore, the image isn’t a fixed
picture; it moves in your imagination as
the story unfolds, like a mental motion
picture—a movie. While you’re listening to a story, you’re simultaneously
watching the story on the movie screen
in your mind, in your imagination.
Let’s test my theory. Take a moment
now to think about a movie that you
saw a while ago. Maybe you’ve seen it
several times, but it is not a movie that
you just saw recently. Stop reading for a
second and identify that movie.
Now, what specifically do you
remember when you recall that movie?
If you’re like most people, the first
thing that came to your mind was an
image or a scene. If I asked you to
describe the scene, you could do so in
great detail. You remember the actors,
their clothes, the location, the situation
and even the emotions. You can see
these images as easily now as you did
when you were watching the movie.
What you remember next is dialogue. But compared with how vividly
you remember the images, you probably don’t remember the exact dialogue
as accurately. Maybe you remember a
line that has become famous by repetition, like “make my day” or “show
me the money” or “life is like a box
of chocolates.” You see, your brain
stores pictures first. It then remembers
the emotional context, and finally, it
remembers language.
In his new book, Brain Rules, molec-
ular biologist John Medina explains
this phenomenon. He writes, “Pictures
are a more effective delivery mecha-
nism of information than text.” He
follows with, “When the brain detects
an emotionally charged event, the
amygdala releases dopamine into the
system. Because dopamine greatly aids
memory and information processing,
you could say it creates a Post-it note
that reads, ‘Remember this.’”
Are you guilty of using too many
words (text) and not enough imagery
and emotion when you’re present-
ing a story? Are you taking the time to
“make motion pictures” with imagery,
staging and emotion that transform
your stories into three-dimensional
experiences?
