For example, if someone simply waves her hand in the air randomly, your mirror neurons won’t respond. But if that person carries out an act you can predict from experience, like taking a drink from a cup of water, your mirror neurons will “figure out” what’s intended before the person does it. So when she lifts up her hand with a cup in it, you can predict at a synaptic level that she intends to drink from it. Not only that, the mirror neurons in your own upstairs brain will get you ready to drink as well. We see an act, we understand the purpose of the act, and we ready ourselves to mirror
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