Fiction and its study as gateways to the mind

There has been a growing understanding of how the mind and brain work in readers’ and writers’ engagement with fiction. This is worthwhile because fiction occupies much time in people’s lives and because it enables them to understand others and themselves. At the same time, the future of research in this area will contribute to psychology generally, with insights into the model-making function of mind, relating by means of conversation, empathetic theory-of-mind, imagination, and personal transformation.