What is the actual point of reading these stories? Are they just supposed to make people feel good?

According to the source material from Chapter 2, the purpose of these stories is profound spiritual transformation, not just temporary comfort. Sai Baba states that 'by hearing, singing, and contemplating my stories, devotion to Me will be born and ignorance will be destroyed immediately.' The intended outcomes are significant: the listener's faith will grow, they will attain 'self-experience and self-bliss,' and ultimately gain knowledge of their true form. The text asserts that this process helps the soul and Shiva find harmony, describing it as the 'entire goal of the Vedas' and a 'resting place for the soul.'