Laugher: it’s a good medicine!

Intro

Patients, doctors and health-care professionals are all finding that laughter may indeed be the
best medicine. Finding humor in a situation and laughing freely with others can be a powerful
antidote to stress. It is also a very good coping mechanism when you are suffering from deadly
diseases such as cancer. Many people find that maintaining a sense of humor at such occasions are
useful for good quality of life. Our sense of humor gives us the ability to find delight, experience
joy, and to release tension. This can be an effective self-care tool. Scientific evidence on the
effectiveness of humor as a therapy is now overwhelming.

Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been
studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown
that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts
immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called
Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers
the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-
being.
Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the
September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal.
Laughter Activates the Immune System
In Berk's study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen
in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state -- a state that
produces healthy or positive emotions.
Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity
within the immune system, including:
An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral
infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.

An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await
activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to "turn it up a notch."

An increase in the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract
insults and infections.

An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system
to "turn on."

An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as

well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or
infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects
watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show
increased levels the next day.

Laughter Decreases "Stress" Hormones

The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in
stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These
were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor.
For example, levels of epinephrine were lower in the group both in anticipation of
humor and after exposure to humor. Epinephrine levels remained down throughout
the experiment.
In addition, dopamine levels (as measured by dopac) were also decreased.
Dopamine is involved in the "fight or flight response" and is associated with
elevated blood pressure.
Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the
body's ability to use oxygen.
Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance – not replace -- conventional
treatments. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease.
Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can
reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful
distraction from pain.
In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners
after surgery and before painful medication was administered. Those exposed to
humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn't get a dose of
humor as part of their therapy.
Perhaps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative
side effects.
So, here is a summary of how humor contributes to physical health. More details
can be found in the article, Humor and Health contributed by Paul McGhee
Muscle Relaxation - Belly laugh results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the
muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh, relaxes. After you finish laughing
those muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in
two stages.
Reduction of Stress Hormones - Laughter reduces at least four of neuroendocrine
hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac,
and growth hormone.
Immune System Enhancement - Clinical studies have shown that humor
strengthens the immune system.
Pain Reduction - Humor allows a person to "forget" about pains such as aches,
arthritis, etc.
Cardiac Exercise - A belly laugh is equivalent to "an internal jogging." Laughter can
provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform
physical exercises.
Blood Pressure - Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing
hypertension.
Respiration - Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes
in resulting in a cleansing effect - similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial
for patient's who are suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.
Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to
reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging
therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things.
Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits.

Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:

• Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine
(adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing
hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-
producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune
system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
• Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced
the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
• Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even
works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good
workout for the heart.
• Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in
a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
• Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we
view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective
and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more
positive.
• Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious,
so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh
more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can
reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience
with them, reducing your stress level even more!
How To Use Laughter:

Laughter is one of my all-time favorite stress management strategies because it's free, convenient,
and beneficial in so many ways. You can get more laughter in your life with the following
strategies:

• T.V. and Movies: There's no shortage of laughter opportunities from the entertainment, both at
the theater and in the aisles of the video stores, as well as at home with T.V. comedies. While
wasting your time watching something marginally funny may actually frustrate you, watching
truly hilarious movies and shows is an easy way to get laughter into your life whenever you
need it.
• Laugh With Friends: Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more
laughter in your life. The contagious effects of laughter may mean you'll laugh more than you
otherwise would have during the show, plus you'll have jokes to reference at later times. Having
friends over for a party or game night is also a great setup for laughter and other good feelings.
• Find Humor In Your Life: Instead of complaining about life's frustrations, try to laugh about
them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize that you could 'look
back on it and laugh.' Think of how it will sound as a story you could tell to your friends, and
then see if you can laugh about it now. With this attitude, you may also find yourself being more
lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about. Approach life
in a more mirthful way and you'll find you're less stressed about negative events, and you'll
achieve the health benefits of laughter. (See this article on maintaining a sense of humor.
• 'Fake It Until You Make It': Just as studies show the positive effects of smiling occur whether
the smile is fake or real, faked laughter also provides the benefits mentioned above. So smile
 more, and fake laughter; you'll still achieve positive effects, and the fake merriment may lead to
real smiles and laughter.
• More on Having Fun: See these additional suggestions on laughing more and having fun in
your life.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough,
sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness
and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers
healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system,
boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of
all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
In This Article:
• Laughter is strong medicine
• Laughter and emotional health
• Social benefits of laughter
• Bringing more laughter into your life
• Developing your sense of humor
• Using humor to overcome challenges
• Related links

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Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body
“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your
daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more
dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens
your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and
alert.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a
tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting
both physical and emotional health.
Laughter is good for your health
• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves
physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45
minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress
hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies,
thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-
good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and
can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood
vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a
heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
The Benefits of Laughter

Physical Health Benefits: Mental Health Benefits: Social Benefits:

• Boosts immunity
• Lowers stress
hormones
• Decreases pain
• Relaxes your
muscles
• Prevents heart
disease
• Adds joy and zest to
life
• Eases anxiety and
fear
• Relieves stress
• Improves mood
• Enhances resilience
• Strengthens
relationships
• Attracts others to us
• Enhances teamwork
• Helps defuse conflict
• Promotes group
bonding

Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains
with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic
outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to
find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even
simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is
contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in on
the fun.
The link between laughter and mental health
 • Laughter dissolves distressing emotions.
You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when
you’re laughing.
• Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It
reduces stress and increases energy, enabling
you to stay focused and accomplish more.
• Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to
see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous
perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid
feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humor and laughter

Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings
and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is
created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.
Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone
Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting.
All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and
play adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal
resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.
Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:
• Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from
your troubles.
• Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments,
criticisms, and doubts.
• Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set
aside.
• Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to
the surface.

Laughter and Relationships

Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By
making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions,
you can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-
workers, family members, and friends.
Read: Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Bringing more humor and laughter into your life
Anyone can join the laughter movement. All it takes is a willingness to risk some loss of
control. The timid may start with a few shy giggles. The courageous may jump in with deep
belly laughter. A sense of humor is not required. There’s more than enough stress to go
around and absurdity abounds in our daily lives. All we have to do is believe, let go, clap our
hands and laughter will live again. So will we. Laughter is feeling deeply which allows us to
live fully.
Source: We Need to Laugh More, Enda Junkins, LMFT.
Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin
smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if
you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to
laugh at any stage of life.
Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with
working out, and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter
into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.
Here are some ways to start:
• Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious.
Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even
experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at
someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
• Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering
the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that
are a barrier to humor and laughter. When in a state of sadness, we have
further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
• When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and
laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not.
More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it
gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find
in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
• Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh
easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find
the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are
contagious.
• Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing
that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”
Creating opportunities to laugh
• Watch a funny movie or TV show.
• Go to a comedy club.
• Read the funny pages.
• Seek out funny people.
• Share a good joke or a funny story.
• Check out your bookstore’s humor section.
• Host game night with friends.
• Play with a pet.
• Go to a “laughter yoga” class.
• Goof around with children.
• Do something silly.
• Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).
Developing your sense of humor: Take yourself less
seriously
One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all
known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and
never laughs at anything. No fun there!
Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry
an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary
life–giving you the choice to laugh or not.
Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life:
• Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to
take ourselves less seriously is talk about times when we took ourselves
too seriously.
• Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for
the humor in a bad situation, the irony and absurdity of life. This will help
improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
• Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your
desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a
computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and
your family or friends having fun.
• Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond our control—
particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the
weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s
unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.
• Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and
laughter.
• Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on
playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.
Checklist for lightening up
When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these
questions:
• Is it really worth getting upset over?
• Is it worth upsetting others?
• Is it that important?
• Is it that bad?
• Is the situation irreparable?
• Is it really your problem?

Using humor and play to overcome challenges and

enhance your life
The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable–it also
helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate
humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.
Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your
imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard
to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can
often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.
Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid,
they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to
experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this
creative ability.
Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around
through laughter and play:
Roy, a semi-retired businessman, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf–his
favorite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had
improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Roy wisely realized
that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the
game too seriously. When he played with friends who focused more on having fun than on
their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Roy hoped it
would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting
from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.
Jane worked at home in her apartment complex designing greeting cards, a job she used to
love but now felt routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door.
Eventually, Jane invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just
watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, coloring, and playing pretend with the little girls
transformed Jane’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom,
it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the
playfulness and spark in Jane’s relationship with her husband.
As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will
flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved
ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world
from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.
Related articles

Playful Communication in Emotional Intelligence

Relationships The Power of Laughter, Five Key Skills for Raising Your Emotional
Humor, and Play Intelligence

More Helpguide articles:

• Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress
• How to Stop Worrying: Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety Relief
• Play, Creativity, and Lifelong Learning: Why Play Matters for Both Kids and
Adults
Related links for humor, laughter, and health
General information about health and humor
How Humor Makes You Friendlier, Sexier – Seeing the bright side of life may strengthen the
psyche, ease pain, and tighten social bonds. (Scientific American Mind)
Articles on Health and Humor – Psychologist and humor-training specialist Paul McGhee
offers a series of articles on humor, laughter, and health. (Laughter Remedy)
How Laughter Works – Explains the physiology of laughter, as well as its physical and
emotional benefits. (How Stuff Works)
What is Humor? – Discusses the relationship between humor and health and suggests ways to
improve your sense of humor. (Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor)
Laughter as medicine
Laughter is the "Best Medicine" for Your Heart – Describes a study that found that laughter
helps prevent heart disease. (University of Maryland Medical Center)
Give Your Body a Boost -- With Laughter – Learn all about the physical health benefits of
humor and laughter. (WebMD)
Laughter Therapy – Guide to the healing power of laughter, including the research supporting
laughter therapy. (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
The social benefits of laughter
The Benefits of Laughter – Article on the social benefits of laughter and the important role it
plays in the relationships between people. (Psychology Today)
The Science of Laughter – Psychologist and laughter researcher Robert Provine, Ph.D.,
explains the power of laughter, humor, and play as social tools. (Psychology Today)
Bringing more laughter and humor into your life
Humor in the Workplace – Series of articles on using humor in the workplace to reduce job
stress, improve morale, boost productivity and creativity, and improve communication.
(Laughter Remedy)

Laughter is an audible expression or the appearance of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy

(laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a physiological reaction) from jokes, tickling or
other stimuli. It is in most cases a very pleasant sensation.
Laughter is found among various animals, as well as in humans. Among the human species, it
is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in
social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a
signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others.
Laughter is sometimes seemingly contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself
provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.[1] This may account in part for the
popularity of laugh tracks in situation comedy television shows.
Laughter is anatomically caused by the epiglottis constricting the larynx. The study of humor
and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called
gelotology.

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Nature of laughter
• 2 Laughter and the
brain
• 3 Laughter and health
• 4 Causes
• 5 Gallery
• 6 See also
• 7 References
• 8 Further reading
• 9 External links

[edit] Nature of laughter

Laughter is a common response to tickling

Two girls laughing

Laughter is an audible expression or appearance of happiness, an inward feeling of joy or

humor (laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a physiological reaction) from jokes,
tickling, and other stimuli. Strong laughter can sometimes bring an onset of tears or even
moderate muscular pain. Recently researchers have shown infants as early as 17 days old have
vocal laughing sounds or laughter. Early Human Development 2006 This conflicts with
earlier studies indicating that infants usually start to laugh at about four months of age. Robert
R. Provine, Ph.D. has spent decades studying laughter. In his interview for WebMD, he
indicated "Laughter is a mechanism everyone has; laughter is part of universal human
vocabulary. There are thousands of languages, hundreds of thousands of dialects, but
everyone speaks laughter in pretty much the same way.” Everyone can laugh. Babies have the
ability to laugh before they ever speak. Children who are born blind and deaf still retain the
ability to laugh.
Provine argues that “Laughter is primitive, an unconscious vocalization.” And if it seems you
laugh more than others, Provine argues that it probably is genetic. In a study of the “Giggle
Twins,” two exceptionally happy twins were separated at birth and not reunited until 43 years
later. Provine reports that “until they met each other, neither of these exceptionally happy
ladies had known anyone who laughed as much as she did.” They reported this even though
they both had been brought together by their adoptive parents, whom they indicated were
“undemonstrative and dour.” Provine indicates that the twins “inherited some aspects of their
laugh sound and pattern, readiness to laugh, and perhaps even taste in humor.” WebMD 2002
Norman Cousins, who suffered from arthritis, developed a recovery program incorporating
megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter
induced by Marx Brothers films. "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine
belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free
sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch
on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free
interval." He wrote about these experiences in several books.[2][3]
Research has noted the similarity in forms of laughter among various primates (humans,
gorillas, orang-utans...), suggesting that laughter derives from a common origin among
primate species, and has subsequently evolved in each species.[4]
A very rare neurological condition has been observed whereby the sufferer is unable to laugh
out loud, a condition known as aphonogelia.[5]
[edit] Laughter and the brain

Principal fissures and lobes of the cerebrum viewed laterally. (Frontal lobe is blue,
temporal lobe is green.)

Modern neurophysiology states that laughter is linked with the activation of the ventromedial
prefrontal cortex, which produces endorphins after a rewarding activity.
Research has shown that parts of the limbic system are involved in laughter[citation needed]. The
limbic system is a primitive part of the brain that is involved in emotions and helps us with
basic functions necessary for survival. Two structures in the limbic system are involved in
producing laughter: the amygdala and the hippocampus[citation needed].
The December 7, 1984 Journal of the American Medical Association describes the
neurological causes of laughter as follows:
"Although there is no known 'laugh center' in the brain, its neural
mechanism has been the subject of much, albeit inconclusive, speculation.
It is evident that its expression depends on neural paths arising in close
association with the telencephalic and diencephalic centers concerned with
respiration. Wilson considered the mechanism to be in the region of the
mesial thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamus. Kelly and co-workers, in
turn, postulated that the tegmentum near the periaqueductal grey
contains the integrating mechanism for emotional expression. Thus,
supranuclear pathways, including those from the limbic system that Papez
hypothesised to mediate emotional expressions such as laughter, probably
come into synaptic relation in the reticular core of the brain stem. So while
purely emotional responses such as laughter are mediated by subcortical
structures, especially the hypothalamus, and are stereotyped, the cerebral
cortex can modulate or suppress them."

[edit] Laughter and health

A positive link between laughter and healthy function of blood vessels was first reported in
2005 by researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center with laughter causing the
inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand such to increase blood flow.
[6]
. Drs. Michael Miller (University of Maryland) and William Fry (Stanford), theorize that
beta-endorphin like compounds released by the hypothalamus activate receptors on the
endothelial surface to release nitric oxide, thereby resulting in dilation of vessels. Other
cardioprotective properties of nitric oxide include reduction of inflammation and decreased
platelet aggregation.[7]. A video demonstration of these effects can be found on the following
link [8]. The association between laughter and endothelial dilation was recently confirmed by
other investigators.[9]
[edit] Causes
Late 19th century or early 20th century depiction of different stages of laughter
on advertising cards

Common causes for laughter are sensations of joy and humor, however other situations may
cause laughter as well.
A general theory that explains laughter is called the relief theory. Sigmund Freud
summarized it in his theory that laughter releases tension and "psychic energy". This theory is
one of the justifications of the beliefs that laughter is beneficial for one's health.[10] This theory
explains why laughter can be as a coping mechanism for when one is upset, angry or sad.
Philosopher John Morreall theorizes that human laughter may have its biological origins as a
kind of shared expression of relief at the passing of danger. Friedrich Nietzsche, by contrast,
suggested laughter to be a reaction to the sense of existential loneliness and mortality that
only humans feel.
For example, this is how this theory works in the case of humor: a joke creates an
inconsistency, the sentence appears to be not relevant, and we automatically try to understand
what the sentence says, supposes, doesn't say, and implies; if we are successful in solving this
'cognitive riddle', and we find out what is hidden within the sentence, and what is the
underlying thought, and we bring foreground what was in the background, and we realize that
the surprise wasn't dangerous, we eventually laugh with relief. Otherwise, if the inconsistency
is not resolved, there is no laugh, as Mack Sennett pointed out: "when the audience is
confused, it doesn't laugh" (this is the one of the basic laws of a comedian, called
"exactness"). It is important to note that the inconsistency may be resolved, and there may still
be no laugh. Due to the fact that laughter is a social mechanism, we may not feel like we are
in danger, however, the physical act of laughing may not take place. In addition, the extent of
the inconsistency (timing, rhythm, etc.) has to do with the amount of danger we feel, and thus
how hard or long we laugh. This explanation is also confirmed by modern neurophysiology
(see section Laughter and the brain).
 Join Laughing Laura and
her laughter friends in
this fun, easy-to-follow
Laughter Yoga workout
on DVD—the only one of
its kind! Laughter yoga is
a new phenomenon
sweeping the globe. It
was developed in 1995
by Madan Kataria, a
medical doctor from India, and is now practiced in more
than 60 countries. The basic premise of laughter yoga is
that anyone can laugh without jokes or even a sense of
humor. All we need is the desire to laugh and let the joyful
energy flow. Laughter yoga combines deep yoga breathing, stretching, and relaxation with laughter
exercises for maximum health benefits.

This program contains a high-impact laughter yoga workout designed specifically for children,
complete with a warm up, deep breathing, original songs, guided relaxation and 27 unique laughter
exercises. Each part of the workout is demonstrated by Laughing Laura and her 19 laughter
friends, children ages 4 to 11. The whole family can join in the laughter fun and cultivate a more
positive outlook on life.

Produced by William and Laura Gentry

First Edition © 2007

Second Edition © 2008

(with song subtitles and
special feature video of Dr. K)
www.thegentryjoint.com

Laugh Your Way to Enlightenment!

Happiness is our essential nature.

Rather than waiting for external events to determine our happiness, we can find it deep inside ourselves.
Perhaps we think we have to be relaxed and calm, or that all sorts of conditions must exist for us to be
happy. This is not the case; happiness can exist for no reason. The more we practice smiling, laughing and
enjoying ourselves for no reason, the more we will discover that we already have what we seek.

Many of us know that laughter is good for us, but we might feel that we have nothing to laugh about; we
may feel more like crying. The second stage of The Mystic Rose can help us to release and heal old
wounds, unburden sorrows and discover deep peace within.

So try some laughter techniques, but be kind and gentle with yourself. And remember: If you are in the
midst of a difficult time in your life, commit an equal amount of time to allow your sadness to exist. The
balanced awareness and expression of both of these energies will bring you to a deeper harmony and
peace within yourself.

The Benefits

Laughter is good for us in every way as several studies have shown. (See, for example, articles by N.
Lehrman in Archives of Internal Medicine, April 26,1993; by Lee Berk, Dr. P.H. in Loma Linda University
School of Medicine News, March 11,1999; by N.Silver in American Health, November 1986; by J.
McCormick in Lancet, August 1994. Among these findings:

• Laughter stimulates physical healing.

• Laughter enhances our creativity.

• Laughter is rejuvenating and regenerating.

• Laughter is sexy.

• Laughter is good for relationships.

• Laughter opens the heart.

• Laughter gives us a glimpse of freedom from the mind.

The Laughter Meditation

When you wake up in the morning, stretch your body-every muscle, cell and fiber-just like a cat. After a few
moments, start laughing. Just start. At the beginning you may have to force it a little, saying 'Ha, Ha, Ha,' or
'Ho, Ho, Ho' to get the laughter energy moving. Soon, a spontaneous laughter will arise at the sound of your
attempts at laughing. Try it for five minutes. Just laugh for no reason at all. Laugh for the sake of laughing.

Try it again for five minutes when you go to bed, just before you go to sleep. Try it in the shower or while
driving your car in traffic. Ha, Ha, Ha. Even to say those words out loud will start a transformation in your
energy, in your mood.

At the beginning, it will take some effort; you might want to use a laughter CD to help you get started. After
a little while, it will start to happen naturally. Your body will get used to it, will start to expect it.

Laughter is one of the easiest ways to free yourself from the mind's constant thought process and find inner
peace. It will make you more alive, more healthy, more creative, and more silent. Simply relax into the
enjoyment. You will discover in yourself a tremendous natural talent for rejoicing in life. You may even laugh
your way to enlightenment. Yes, it's that good. Remember to laugh-a lot-every day.*
Health care professionals, doctors and patients proved that laughter is the best medicine for various ailments.
According to the situation, finding the humor and laughing freely with others is a powerful remedy for stress.
Also, laughter therapy is a good coping method for those who are suffering from a deadly disease like cancer.
Some of the psychological responses to laughter therapy include increased circulation, respiration, digestive and
hormonal enzyme secretion, blood pressure control, increased muscle flexion, improved immune system
functioning, raise in infection fighting T-cell levels, B-cells and disease fighting proteins called as Gamma-
interferon.
Laughter therapy greatly triggers the production of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers and also
creates a wide sense of safety. Here are the therapeutic benefits of laughter therapy:

Laughter therapy to boost the immune system:

Researchers confirmed that once after exposing to the humor, generally there is an increase in activity level within
your immune system.
• Laughter increases the natural killer cells both in number and activity level, which are helpful for fighting
against the viral infected cells and some forms of cancer and tumor cells.
• With this therapy, there is an increase in the number of activated T-cells. Various numbers of T-cells are
waiting in your body for activation. Whenever you laugh, it is the indication for your immune system to
turn on the activation.
• Increase in immunoglobulin A level takes place. This fights against the infections of upper respiratory
tract.
• There will be an Increase in the level of gamma interferon. This gives signal to various components of
your immune system to turn on.

Laughter therapy to decrease the stress hormones:

According to the research, laughter greatly decreases the level of stress hormones that contract the blood vessels
and suppress your immune activity.
• Laughter decreases the levels of epinephrine.
• Dopamine levels are also decreased. This hormone is involved in the fight response and is mainly linked
with high blood pressure.
• Laughter is one type of aerobics. It provides a workout to your diaphragm and increases your body’s
ability of oxygen usage.
• Laughter therapy enhances your positive emotions, thus acting as a tool to help fight against the
disease.
• When laughter is used along with a conventional treatment, it greatly reduces your pain and helps in the
healing process.
Various other benefits of laughter include:
• Belly laugh greatly helps in muscle relaxation. When you are laughing, the muscles inside your belly that
don’t participate in the laugh get relaxed. Once after you finish laughing, the muscles that participated in
the laughter begin to relax.
• Laughter therapy greatly reduces at least four of neuroendocrine hormones that are associated with
response to the stress. These hormones include: cortisol, epinephrine, dopac, and growth hormone.
• Laughter strengthens your immune system.
• While laughing, you will forget about the pains like aches, arthritis, etc.
• Laughter greatly provides better cardiac conditioning, particularly for those who are unable to do physical
activity.
• With laughter, women get great benefit than men in controlling high blood pressure.
• Belly laugh empties your lungs from excess air and cleanses them. This is same as deep breathing.
There is no need to go to any therapist for laughter therapy. It is totally free and you will get various health
benefits. There are no side effects associated with laughter therapy.
 [Humor Therapy-Home][Stress Home Page][Holistic-online Home]
A Healthy Dose of Laughter
by Steve Goodier
I read that a child laughs 400 times a day on the average, while an adult laughs only
15 times each day. Which is puzzling since laughter feels so good and is so good for
us!
You may know the benefits of laughter on the mind and spirit, but are you aware of
how much a good laugh can help you physically? Norman Cousins used to say that
laughter is so beneficial for your body that it is like “inner jogging.”
Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 1993) reports that laughter aids
breathing by disrupting your normal respiration pattern and increasing your breathing
rate. It can even help clear mucus from your lungs.
Laughter is also good for your heart. It increases circulation and improves the
delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout your body.
A good laugh helps your immune system fight off colds, flu and sinus problems by
increasing the concentration of immunoglobulin A in your saliva. And it may help
control pain by raising the levels of certain brain chemicals (endorphins).
Furthermore, it is a natural stress reliever. Have you ever laughed so hard that you
doubled over, fell off your chair, spit out your food or wet your pants? You cannot
maintain muscle tension when you are laughing!
The good news is that you are allowed more than 15 laughs a day! Go ahead and
double the dose and make it 30 times today. (You may begin to notice immediate
improvement in your relationships!) Then double it again! You are bound to feel
better, you will cope with problems more effectively and people will enjoy being
around you.
Laughter: it’s just good medicine!

Laughter is the "Best Medicine" for Your

Heart

Ask the Expert

Get answers to your heart disease prevention questions.
Ask Dr. Miller

Dr. Miller’s Bio | Q&A Archive

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis
or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about
your specific health care concerns.

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• Laughter Good for Your Heart
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Can a laugh every day keep the heart attack away? Maybe so.

Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against
a heart attack, according to a recent study by cardiologists at the University
of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study, which is the first to
indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with
heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations
compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

"The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine,' definitely appears to be
true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Michael Miller, M.D.,
director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland
Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine. "We don't know yet why laughing protects the heart, but
we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the
endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. This can cause a
series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in
the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack."

In the study, researchers compared the humor responses of 300 people. Half
of the participants had either suffered a heart attack or undergone coronary
artery bypass surgery. The other 150 did not have heart disease. One
questionnaire had a series of multiple-choice answers to find out how much
or how little people laughed in certain situations, and the second one used
true or false answers to measure anger and hostility.

Miller said that the most significant study finding was that "people with heart
disease responded less humorously to everyday life situations." They
generally laughed less, even in positive situations, and they displayed more
anger and hostility.

"The ability to laugh -- either naturally or as learned behavior

-- may have important implications in societies such as the
U.S. where heart disease remains the number one killer,"
says Miller. "We know that exercising, not smoking and
eating foods low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease. Perhaps
regular, hearty laughter should be added to the list."

Miller says it may be possible to incorporate laughter into our daily activities,
just as we do with other heart-healthy activities, such as taking the stairs
instead of the elevator. "We could perhaps read something humorous or
watch a funny video and try to find ways to take ourselves less seriously,"
Miller says. "The recommendation for a healthy heart may one day be
exercise, eat right and laugh a few times a day