Laughing Your Way to Health and Joy

Stick figure

Source: Freesvg Clip art public domain

I am sure the reader is familiar with the concept of psychosomatics — the science of how the mind affects the body, for better or worse. Many people forget that the reverse is also true. What goes on in the body affects the psyche — in other words, the mind. When we are happy, we smile or laugh. When we are sad, we sob, we cry. The interesting thing is that when we pretend to cry or laugh — actors do this all the time — the feelings associated with these bodily changes well up. In these difficult times, conscious laughter may be just the ticket to feeling more optimistic and cheerful.

The Historical Perspective

In India, laughing yoga or yoga laughter has existed for a very long time. Nobody really knows who invented it or when it first appeared. Whatever its origins, laughter yoga owes its modern success to a family physician, Madan Kataria, and his wife, Madhuri Kataria, who modernized its practice by making it accessible to Westerners.

In the United States, William F. Fry, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, California, was the first scientist to suggest in 1964 that laughter was a suitable field of study. The American Association for Therapeutic Humor was founded in 1987, and the formation of the International Society for Humor Studies followed in 1988. Both of these organizations unite several hundred professionals interested in integrating humor into a variety of therapeutic modalities. Together they have published hundreds of articles on the health benefits of laughter, and their members have written many books and spoken at numerous conferences.

Marí Cruz Garcia independently developed her own concept of “conscious laughter” in the early 1980s, created her own laughter school, started to train laughter therapists in 1990, and continues to do so.

You may have seen the 1998 Hollywood movie on Dr. Patch Adams starring Robin Williams. Hunter Patch Adams, while still in medical school, committed his life to bringing fun and laughter to young hospitalized patients. Around the same time, professional clowns from the not-for-profit Big Apple Circus started to do hospital visits. Their message and techniques spread worldwide over the following years.

How to Laugh

The easiest way to laugh is in a group led by a person familiar with laughing techniques. For example, see the work of Steve Wilson, a psychologist from Ohio, who brought the concept of Laughter Clubs to the United States in the late 1990s. He has trained thousands of Certified Laughter Leaders in North America and beyond. His approach incorporates laughter exercises, games, music, movement, and creative arts.

Another person whose work you can access on the Web is Annette Goodheart, a psychologist from Santa Barbara, CA. She devised a set of techniques on how to use laughter to release strong or repressed emotions. Her book Laughter Therapy is a good read.

If joining a group either in your city or virtually does not appeal to you, you can learn to laugh on your own. You do not need to have a sense of humor, know jokes, or even be happy. Laugh for the same reason you exercise or diet — because you know it is good for you.

Why It Works

Current scientific research at Loma Linda University’s School of Allied Health and Medicine has shown that laughter helps the brain regulate the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. The researchers also discovered a link between laughter and the production of antibodies and endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Even the expectation that something funny is coming suffices to bring about positive effects, according to the lead immunologist, Lee Berk.

Scientists at the Maryland School of Medicine found that laughter causes the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to expand, resulting in an increased blood flow, while stress constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow.

In one study volunteers watched segments of a funny movie, "There's Something About Mary" on one day and on the next watched the opening section of the rather stressful movie "Saving Private Ryan." Each volunteer served as his or her own control. Overall, more than 300 measurements were taken. “The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium after laughing was consistent and similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic exercise or statin use,” said Michael Miller, lead investigator.

Geneticist Kazu Murakami and Yoshimoto Kogyo Co Ltd, a leading entertainment company, jointly carried out their first experiment to let people with diabetes laugh at a comedy show performed by the firm's top stand-up comedians after listening to a monotonous college lecture. The two-day experiment, as described in his 2006 paper, showed that their blood glucose levels dropped after they laughed compared with after listening to the lecture. His latest experiment with the entertainment firm found 18 genes controlling the immune system activated.

Laughter Essential Reads

When Nothing Plus Nothing Equals Laughter

Look Who’s Laughing: Are There Differences in Men and Women?

When we laugh, extra amounts of serotonin are naturally released in the gastrointestinal tract. The parasympathetic system — rest and digest — is dialed up, the sympathetic nervous system — fight or flight — is dialed down. As a result, the immune system is powered up and you heal faster and are less prone to sickness. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus release endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin, neuropeptides related to feelings of happiness and bonding. You feel good when you are connected with yourself and others.

Caveat

I should point out that sufficient randomized controlled clinical trials have not been conducted validating the therapeutic efficacy of laughter. Therefore, it is not surprising that, in academic circles, this approach is generally held in disdain as nonscientific and off the wall and not a replacement for antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. In terms of consumers, the problem is that laughter is free, and we don’t value what’s free.

Summary

Laughter, including simulated laughter, has positive quantifiable physiological and psychological effects. It can be used with preventive intent or as a complementary or alternative therapeutic option in the treatment of emotional as well as physical disorders. Whether used in a clinical setting or in a laughing yoga group or in the privacy of one’s home, laughter’s benefits are many and can contribute greatly to living life optimally.