Laughter was stimulated through "playful eye contact" and breathing exercises. Immediately after sessions, the blood pressure readings from the laughers lowered by 7 mmHg— millimeters of mercury, how the blood pressure readings on a sphygmomanometer are abbreviated.
In comparison, music therapy only brought blood pressure down by 6 mmHg. After three months, the blood pressure readings significantly decreased overall by 5 mmHg among the laughers. People in the comparison group showed no change in blood pressure readings.
The success of laughter studies on blood pressure and other ills has led to a unique kind of treatment known as "laughter yoga. Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga School, told Medscape , "You don't need any jokes, any humor, or any comedy. You don't even need to be happy. What we do is laugh in a group and initiate laughter as a form of bodily exercise, but when we have eye contact with others, this laughter becomes real and contagious.
Kataria led a study of male and female individuals who participated in laughter yoga sessions for 20 to 30 minutes. The researchers stimulated laughter in the participants for between 45 seconds and one minute, followed by deep breathing and stretching for the duration of the sessions.
Subjects who laughed saw a reduction in their systolic blood pressure of more than 6 mmHg, a significant change from baseline and also significant when compared with a non-laughing control group. Diastolic blood pressure was also significantly reduced. In addition, their levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, were also reduced. As a result, laughter yoga has gone on to be used as an intervention for a variety of health issues, ranging from stress to dementia.
A study in Psychological Reports looked at the effects of humorous laughter on threat-induced anxiety. Researchers led 53 college students to believe falsely that they were going to receive an electric shock after a waiting period.
Subjects in the experiment group listened to a humorous tape while waiting for their shock. The placebo group listened to a non-humorous tape, and the control group did not listen to any tape.
The humor group reported that their anxiety decreased during the anticipatory period, and those with the highest self-reported level of sense of humor had the lowest reported anxiety. Laughter therapy has also been shown to improve anxiety in patients with Parkinson's disease [ PDF ], reduce anxiety and depression in nursing students , and improve optimism, self-esteem, and depression in menopausal women. From a general psychological perspective, author Bernard Saper suggests in a paper for Psychiatric Quarterly that the ability to maintain a sense of humor and the ability to laugh can act as positive coping mechanisms to help a person get through difficult times.
At the beginning of cold and flu season, it may be a good idea to practice some laughter therapy, as several studies have shown the immune boosting power of a chuckle. In one study on postpartum mothers in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , researchers tested hand-expressed breast milk for immunoglobulin IgA, antibodies that play an important role in immune function before and after laughter therapy.
For example, laughing may help control brain levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, similar to what antidepressants do. A good sense of humor and the laughter that follows depend on an ample measure of social intelligence and working memory resources. Laughter, like humor, typically sparks from recognizing the incongruities or absurdities of a situation.
Inferring the intentions of others and taking their perspective can enhance the intensity of the laughter and amusement you feel. Many cognitive and social skills work together to help you monitor when and why laughter occurs during conversations. Deaf signers punctuate their signed sentences with laughter , much like emoticons in written text.
Laughter creates bonds and increases intimacy with others. Linguist Don Nilsen points out that chuckles and belly laughs seldom happen when alone , supporting their strong social role. For example, public speakers and comedians try to get a laugh to make audiences feel psychologically closer to them, to create intimacy.
By practicing a little laughter each day, you can enhance social skills that may not come naturally to you. In studies, psychologists have found that men with Type A personality characteristics , including competitiveness and time urgency, tend to laugh more, while women with those traits laugh less. Both sexes laugh more with others than when alone. Positive psychology researchers study how people can live meaningful lives and thrive. Laughter produces positive emotions that lead to this kind of flourishing.
T-cells are specialized immune system cells just waiting in your body for activation. When you laugh, you activate T-cells that immediately begin to help you fight off sickness.
Next time you feel a cold coming on, add chuckling to your illness prevention plan. By laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make you feel good all over.
Laughter can increase your overall sense of well-being. Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to fight diseases better than people who tend to be more negative.
So smile, laugh, and live longer! Menu 0. Meditation Seating Cushions Bolsters Chairs. Lowers blood pressure People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack. Reduces stress hormone levels By reducing the level of stress hormones, you're simultaneously cutting the anxiety and stress that impacts your body.
Works your abs One of the benefits of laughter is that it can help you tone your abs.
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