Image: ERIC MCGREGOR
In Brief
- The concept of laughter as a cure for disease lacks scientific support, but humor may indeed have significant effects on the psyche.
- Laughter relaxes us and improves our mood, and hearing jokes may ease anxiety. Amusement can also counteract pain.
- Cheerfulness, a trait that makes people respond more readily to humor, is linked to emotional resilience—the ability to keep a level head in difficult circumstances—and to close relationships. Life satisfaction may increase with the ability to laugh.
Norman Cousins, the storied journalist, author and editor, found no pain reliever better than clips of the Marx Brothers. For years, Cousins suffered from inflammatory arthritis, and he swore that 10 minutes of uproarious laughing at the hilarious team bought him two hours of pain-free sleep.
In his book Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient (W. W. Norton, 1979), Cousins described his self-prescribed laughing cure, which seemed to ameliorate his inflammation as well as his pain. He eventually was able to return to work, landing a job as an adjunct professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he investigated the effects of emotions on biological states and health.
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26 Comments
Add CommentThe article is too serious in its tone. I would have liked it more if it made me laugh.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo the conclusion is that cheerful people and those who laugh are more fun to be around? Imagine that!
Oh, that's right. Sarcasm can be mean-spirited and is therefore not allowed.
A teardrop shaped loop below and between the ring and small finger on either hand indicates a person who is gifted with a geneticly inherited disposition to be humorous, funny, even hilarious; a natural born comedian.. good company to have around.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHummm...so did we all look to see if we had a teardrop shaped loop?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCan I ask where you found this tid bit of information?
---- Sincerely, "Loopy"
Is this the Psychic Friends network?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"As expected, seeing the funny film did boost pain tolerance in all the women: after exposure to the comedy, all the participants required a longer exposure to the water to feel pain and could tolerate longer submersions before pulling their hand out. These changes in pain perception were lasting, persisting for 20 minutes after the film ended. Smiling, but not necessarily laughter, seemed to be most important for the pain-suppressing effect."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow is it possible that there was no account of a normal increase in tolerance? The more people experience the effect of submerging their hand in the cold water, the more they can expect and deal with it. I may be wrong to assume that pain tollerance always goes up from experiance to experiance, but surely there must be some human factor in the fact that they are accumulating these experiences.
I don't believe that there is any rational reason to describe such treatments as a "miracle." Such language has no place in Scientific American.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiseltay3
The information is from a book I had some time ago apparently by a psychologist (can't remember author's name or book title) He illustrated how characteristics of one's hand can identify aptitudes and personality characteristics; nothing to do with psychics. I did find his information quite reliable- interesting stuff.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI once found a way to turn urine into gasoline, but I forgot how to do it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSorry, sarcasm.
Anyone serious about humor should check out The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, a community of professionals who study, practice, and promote healthy humor and laughter. (www.aath.org)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLaughter and humor may not "cure" any disease but, along with a 3rd element, mirth, they set up our mental-physical-emotional-spiritual states for healing, health and well-being. Cousins was right: anything that can block fear, depression and panic in a patient, becomes a therapeutic ally. Bottom line for me is, given the choice between a life filled with mirthful laughter and one absent of laughter, I'll opt for laughter, regardless of whether or not it heals anything. The other option is too dreadful to contemplate. Those interested in beneficial applications of humor and laughter theories & activities should check www.worldlaughtertour.com and www.humormonth.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYee of course in reasonable amounts... otherwise suceptible individuals may get offended..so if misused humor may be also a "conflict-creating" attitude,therfore by itself negative.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYee of course in reasonable amounts... otherwise suceptible individuals may get offended..so if misused humor may be also a "conflict-creating" attitude,therfore by itself negative.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYes I mean its well known that humor is an excellent means of catharsis,it
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishelps putting things in perspective + we may even say allows a reconsideration of particular problems (changing the way we look at them at times may help the quest for a solution).However this very mature defense mechanism ought to be used wisely (especially in today's society,with all the new problems we are facing).Just think of the potential to offend other people,leading unintentionally to personal conflicts..
I looked and found that I don't have the teardrop loop... this explains why I am never extremely funny, often cynical to the point of annoyance and extremely difficult to cheer up except when I'm in my cube at work doing the serious work that needs to be don. Thanks for letting me know why !!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisQuite interesting. It's interesting that the author suggests that laughter has little fitness potential simply because laughter is rarely sustained for aerobic periods of time. But that is precisely what Laughter Yoga and Laughercize are about. Laughing for solid 20 minute bouts. There is even an upcoming movie about it: Laughology.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.laughology.info
Laughter works. Those of us who have had work related injuries fared best when we make light of the situation. I spent 2 hours joking with a corpsman about the part of my finger that had gotten ripped off during an accident while he patched me up. It was straight out of a MASH episode. And I never felt the pain...until later.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI just don't understand why they don't talk about how funny women are perceived but they talk about men. I say that because I am a funny woman and do stand up as well, but I am not someone who always has to be the joke maker as humour is everywhere
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI like sarcasm, it makes me laugh out loud, Does that make me a bad person?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thislol
To whom it may concern...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@goaterie: Sorry to hear you find my article too serious in tone but it wasn't really meant to be funny. I'm more of a science journalist I'm afraid, than a comedian. The article isn't about how much fun it is to be with cheerful people neither, but about the effects of humor on humorous people themselves. And sarcasm may not be too appropriate in the therapeutical context -- but I love it!
@kakskee: oh, c'mon!
@agenthucky: the experiment describe wasn't a within-subject test, so nobody was exposed to the cold water several times. Instead it was a between-groups comparison (amused vs. not-amused).
@eltay3: well, I think N. Cousin's healing story sounds a lot like a "miracle". Can't see any reason why "such language" (you mean the word "miracle"?!) shouldn't have a place in any respectful magazine.
@banyon: I'd like to see you laugh you way through a 10K road race ...
Steve
There is plenty of valid information in this article.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy decreasing the levels of stress there are obvious lowering in cortisol thereby decreasing the LDL's that cause lesions in blood vessel walls as well fat retention. Biochemically and functionally the cardiovascular function is improved by better stress management.
Furthermore, we find in our dental practice that humor is important to giving our patients a relaxing and memorable experience. Playing videos of comedy TV shows and movies is essential for everyone's well being. This has been scientifically proven. Read this blog http://www.flaxdental.com/wp/index.php/2009/02/26/no-strain-no-pain/
Keep smiling right
Hugh Flax DDS
President Elect American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
www.FlaxDental.com
This information is confirming what is becoming well known in many well respected circle--Laughter is great medicine.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe, in the dental profession, have always observed this to be true for years. A beautiful smile not only helps you look great , but also allows you to feel better and live longer.
Visit ww.AACD .com to find out more.
Laughter makes you forgets the negative emotions. It makes you satisfied and feel complete at that moment when it becomes infectious.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLaughter can helps to forget all negative emotions and pains.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthis article is very helpful to me lol cuz to be frank i need all the help i can get in the sexy department....sarcasm, but still nicely done on the article but loosen up a little have fun when your writting an article
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know I get laid more when I'm in a lighthearted mood and I just feel like making people laugh lol So I end up with a weird cycle where if I want to get laid I have to literally not try to get any and just not care. It's harder to do then you'd think lol
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm a I/O Psych PhD student currently researching how leaders' humor/sense of humor affect organizational outcomes. I've found some good stuff, but still looking for that "ah ha" article/journal/book. Any advice on a source for this area of humor research?
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