Face and Mind: Can We Access Other Minds through Simulated Expressions?

Face is mirror of the mind. Since Darwin's time, the idea of facial expressions as an important window to read the mind has been systematically examined by philosophy, psychology and neuroscience. What are the mechanisms in which facial expre-ssions are produced and recognized? How much knowledge about the mental states of others can we actually obtain from facial expre-ssions? Is it really possible to reach others by automatically imitating their facial expressions? Empathetic conceptual history and cutting-edge advances in the field of mirror neurons have spawned the embodied simulation hypothesis, revealing the neural basis of facial mimicry and sharing in the motor system. Effective facial expression recognition cannot be achieved by visual analysis alone, but also requires a motor simulation mechanism-an unconscious, covert imitation of observed facial postures and movements. Although it remains controversial whether facial mimicry is a sufficient requisite for expression recognition, reflections on the instability of the effect of embodied simulation, as well as cultural diversity and the constitutive thesis of emotion, will provide new perspectives to advance understanding in this area.