Below is a link to an article reporting some research into the effects of stories on us. If this research finding is confirmed then from a Christian point of view it would heighten the importance of the fact that so much of the Bible comes in narrative form. Reading The Story and engaging with the characters in the narrative will help us to live The Story. The ethical effects of this would be particularly powerful if we keep reading the stories of Jesus and become more Christlike.
Steps on The Way 