H.I.F.
I believe this. I'm guessing it's related to a neurological property known as "plasticity" (explored in The Shallows):
"Great novels can change your life...and your brain: Getting lost in a good book can actually change your brain, with neural paths forming in the same way as if you were actually living the experience." Link.
I also have autobiographical anecdotal evidence: As a middle-schooler, I could feel myself living the experiences of Middle Earth.
And in that, I know I'm hardly alone. Nerd? Sure, but not a unique nerd.
