Laughter therapy: what is it and does it work

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Laughter is good for your emotional and physical health. But there are doubts whether he is able to heal diseases.

Humor helps us improve our relationships with each other and relieve stress. But while kids can Scott E. The Health Benefits of Laughter. - Verywell Mind laughs up to 400 times a day, adults usually laugh only 15 times. In this regard, psychological trainings, in which people gather in groups and simulate fun, are quite popular.

The life hacker figured out what laughter therapy is and whether there is any benefit from it.

What is laughter therapy and how did it come about

Laughter therapy (also gelotherapy, from the Greek γέλως (“gelos”) - “laughter”) is a psychotherapeutic practice that is designed to help the patient better understand himself, his behavior and mood. Some researchers consider it a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Proponents of laughter therapy argue Musiychuk M. V. Humor in psychotherapy and counseling: problems and solutions in modern paradigms // Medical psychology in Russia, that it helps to improve emotional and physical well-being, more effectively resolve problematic issues, broaden horizons and enrich spiritually.

The foundations of the scientific discipline of gelotology (from Greek - "the science of laughter") were laid in the 1960s by the American psychiatrist William Fry of Stanford University.

For the first time, the American journalist Norman Cousins spoke about the cure with laughter, also in the 60s of the XX century. He was diagnosed with collagen disease (collagenosis) and spondylitis (inflammation of the spine). Cousins has always been an optimist and believed that emotions determine human health. He began to fight back pain with high doses of vitamin C and watching funny TV shows and comedies - and it helped. Based on his experience, Norman wrote the book Cousins N. Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. - New York - London, 2005 "Anatomy of a disease as seen by the patient." He lived to be 75 and died in 1990.

Today, the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS) and the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) are studying the impact of humor on human health.

There are several directions of laughter therapy:

• Classical - gelotologists tell jokes at sessions, offer lists of comedies, read humorous stories, and so on.
• Laughter therapy as part of another independent method or author's technique: breathing exercises (reflex laughter), tickling, artificial smile, meditation and yoga of laughter.
• Medical (hospital) clowning - humorous performances by artists for children undergoing long-term treatment.

Since laughter is associated with humor and wit, some gelotherapy proponents divide humor into therapeutic and non-therapeutic. This means that therapeutic laughter is inherently positive: for example, when we are amused by a ridiculous situation that has happened to us. In theory, such emotions help a person to better understand himself and the world around him, give him a positive experience. An example of non-therapeutic humor is a situation where laughing at someone becomes a means of bullying and is based on aggression.

There is also a widespread belief that our brains are unable to distinguish between natural (humor-induced) laughter from artificial laughter. Muller R. T. LOL: How Laughter Can Improve Your Health // Psychology Today is a practice of yoga of laughter based on this, for example.

Is there any evidence for the effectiveness of laughter therapy?

Scientists have found that this practice has a number of positive effects on the body.

Even William Fry in his first experiments discovered Liebertz C. A Healthy Laugh // Scientific American, that during laughter, immune cells are activated in the body. This is confirmed by modern research. Laughter has also been shown to help patients with atopic dermatitis respond less to allergens.

There are other positive effects that have been identified. So, laughter:

• helps to reduce pain;
• blocks the production of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as adrenaline, which can increase the risk of developing hypertension and heart failure;
• helps to lower blood pressure and, accordingly, reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular disease;
• stimulates the production of endorphins;
• forces Scott E. The Health Benefits of Laughter. - Verywell Mind to work the muscles of the diaphragm, abs, shoulders, and also arranges a good workout for the heart;
• allows you to burn from 2 to 10 kilocalories in 10-15 minutes;
• saturates Liebertz C. A. Healthy Laugh // Scientific American with oxygen, which contributes to better brain function.

In addition to the positive physiological effects, laughter has a beneficial effect on our emotional state and mental health. He is promoted by Scott E. The Health Benefits of Laughter. - Verywell Mind, a greater sense of happiness, allows you to express hidden emotions and look at problems easier, distracts from anger, guilt and other negative feelings.

Laughter and humor also help Liebertz C. A. Healthy Laugh // Scientific American in learning, promoting better memorization and greater affection for the teacher. The same can be said for treatment. Experimental comedy performances for critically ill children in New York in 1977 were so successful that the method was used around the world. It helps children to adapt to hospital conditions and to cope with painful treatment more easily.

There are some very unusual side effects of using humor to improve your health. For example, laughter therapy allows psychotherapists to protect themselves from professional burnout.

Although there are many scientific works on the positive impact of both laughter in general and laughter therapy in particular, the attitude towards this practice is still wary. Researchers complain that the experiments proving its effectiveness are often contradictory. For example, in the case of Norman Cousins, there is the opinion of Ruderman F. A. A Placebo for the Doctor // Commentary that the journalist had an acute attack of arthritis that resolved naturally, so that there was no cure with laughter.

It is also worth making a reservation that it is not humor as a whole that has a positive effect, but its individual components. Therefore, positive changes can occur only with the skillful use of laughter therapy, and there are very few competent specialists in this area.

So so far, there is no need to talk about the 100% proven positive effect of laughter therapy.

And in any case, before turning to such a practice, you need to understand that laughter therapy is one of the types of alternative treatment. It should be used only as an addition to conventional medical methods, and not as a substitute for them. The most correct decision would be to consult with a specialist - a psychologist or attending physician.

How to laugh more

Probably, you should not expect miraculous healing from laughter therapy, but it is better not to neglect the opportunity to benefit from humor and laughter. And for this it is not at all necessary to look for a laugh therapist. Here are some tips for bringing more fun into your life:

1. Pick up items that amuse you. These can be photographs, comics, memes, postcards, toys, whatever. Place them where you spend a lot of time - for example, in the workplace.
2. Stock up on funny magazines, websites, movies, or videos to refer to when you run out of humor (or just in your spare time).
3. Try to laugh at yourself, look at the problems as a ridiculous coincidence. For example, come up with a funny story about an awkward situation you are in and tell your friends.
4. Date people you have fun with. Save a couple of anecdotes or funny stories before doing this.
5. Go Scott E. The Health Benefits of Laughter.- Verywell Mind to a stand-up club or a comedy movie, if the restrictions associated with the pandemic allow it to be done with all the necessary precautions. Research shows that group laughter is even more beneficial than individual laughter.
6. Fake a smile and laugh if you are not afraid of frightened looks. You cannot get a positive effect from humor without laughter, but from laughter without humor, apparently, you can.

Laugh yourself and make others laugh, but don't go overboard. If a sparkling joke humiliates or insults someone, then it is better to do without it.