The role of emotion and empathy in embodied simulation in the mirror neuron system.

The human mirror neuron system (MNS) offers a clear connection between phenomenology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science that has profound implications for understanding the actions, emotions and intentions of others. Given that the MNS is a trimodal system composed of mirror neurons in the premotor cortex that respond to motor, visual, and auditory stimulation, such as when an action is performed, observed, or heard (D'Ausilio, 2007), the role of the audio-visual MNS for understanding the actions and emotions of others illuminates the importance of phenomenological approaches to embodied cognition for philosophy, Buddhist meditation and neuroscience. For example, the MNS exemplifies an integration of first-person subjective levels of lived-bodily experience, and third-person objective accounts stemming from within cognitive neuroscience, which is known as neurophenomenology. This approach has important implications for understanding the role that emotion and empathy play in embodied simulation in the MNS. Neurophenomenology and the study of the MNS are important for closing the explanatory gap in philosophy of mind, and for surmounting the mind-body problem. The explanatory gap refers to a "gap" in our understanding of how to relate first-person, subjective levels of experience with a third-person, objective and scientific account stemming from within neurophysiology and brain science (Bayne, 2004; Lutz and Thompson, 2003). Lastly, a neurophenomenological method of investigation is also being invoked in recent studies with Buddhist meditation and neuroscience, by identifying the neural correlates of compassion, emotional regulation and attention, which is a contemplative neuroscience approach for closing the explanatory gap as well.