Researchers at the University of Pisa in Italy are now using functional magnetic resonance imaging to see if the answer lies within the brain. They asked people to imagine forgiving someone and then observed changes in the cerebral blood flow, which signaled the parts of the brain that became more active. They found that several regions lit-up, especially areas that regulate emotional responses, moral judgments, perceptions, of physical pain, and decision making. By creating this kind of neural map, researchers hope to learn more about how forgiveness works on both a physical and a psychological level.
