The 18^th century is a crucial era for the rise of the novel in English and the formation of modern conceptions of narrative immersion. Engaging existing scholarship on early modern and modern theories of reading, this paper primarily discusses two issues. First, it traces the discourses of narrative immersion and narrative impact in 18^th-century England, bringing together moral philosophy, aesthetic theories, brain science, literary criticism, and scenes of reading from notable 18^th-century novels. The second part of the paper concerns the ways in which contemporary cognitive narratology resonates with 18^th-century theories of reading, while providing the latter with productive theoretical frameworks. It introduces in particular contemporary theories of narrative immersion based on mirror neuron and the possible-worlds theory.