Embedded Mental States, Literariness, and the Mutual Cross-Disciplinary Benefits of Cognitive-Literary Analysis

Abstract

This article begins by reviewing the related cognitive-scientific concepts of theory of mind (ToM), embedded mental states, intentionality, and recursive mindreading. The mental processes involved in discerning others’ unstated thoughts and beliefs are essential not only to interacting with other humans in most situations but also to reading and understanding narratives. Literature models real-life situations and prompts us to practise our mindreading skills, generally with no social consequences. Through its simulation properties, literature also facilitates the scientific study of cognitive processes that are difficult to examine in real-life situations. An investigation into the creative use of embedded mental states by two prominent East German writers, Wolfgang Hilbig and Christa Wolf, illustrates both how cognitive studies can support literary analyses and how those analyses can, in turn, further the scientific understanding of the human brain’s processing of intentionality and the mental states of others.