An investigation of the emotional power of narrative that illuminates the relationship between
the human brain and the stories we tell As humans we think in stories—stories that allow
us to feel and share emotions. In order for this phenomenon to work our brains and the ways in
which we tell stories must be attuned to each other. But how exactly does this happen?
Tapping into the essence of thinking in stories Fritz Breithaupt draws on the latest
scientific research including a retelling study (comparable to the telephone game) with more
than 12 000 participants and experiments in which ChatGPT functions as storyteller. This
wide-ranging study includes analyses of political history novels fairy tales and everyday
office gossip proposes a new theory of narrative that focuses on emotions and affects and
hypothesizes on the evolution of narratives among our hominid ancestors. Redefining us as
beings who anchor ourselves in the world through narratives Breithaupt introduces a new kind
of psychology that cuts to the core of how and why humans feel the need to tell stories.
