LAUGHTER IS LAPSE FROM GLOOM

A melancholy young man (or woman) i a con!ra"ic!ion in !erm #ecaue you!h i !he
$erio" o% $ring an" $ring i !he !ime o% &oy an" high $iri!' The young a$iring !o go
ahea"( !rying !o clim# !he %allen la""er o% li%e( nee" a ene o% humour more !han
any!hing ele %or !he $ur$oe' )ohn *ry"en ay( +I! i a goo" !hing !o laugh( a! any
ra!e, an" i% a !raw can !ic-le a man( i! i an in!rumen! o% ha$$ine'.
Laugh!er( which #ur! %rom a mile or a ene o% humour( i rela!e" !o $eronali!y' I!
i no! only a heal!h%ul +e/er!ion. #u! alo a #a"ge o% a #righ! $eronali!y' A $eron
wi!h a +long %ace. #ecome a a" $ec!acle o% ocie!y'
Thi i no! a mere aum$!ion( nor an a#!rac! $hiloo$hy' I! i now an e!a#lihe"
cien!i%ic %ac!' Reearch ha $u! 0ali" %oun"a!ion un"er !he $romie $o$ularly -nown
a +laugh an" la!.' +Laugh!er i a !hera$y #e!!er !han any $hyician can $recri#e'.
Accor"ing !o a !u"y con"uc!e" #y !he Uni0eri!y o% Marylan" Me"ical 1en!re( wa!ching
a %unny mo0ie ha a heal!hy e%%ec! on #loo" 0eel %unc!ion( while wa!ching a men!ally
!re%ul one can caue !he lining o% !he #loo" 0eel !o narrow an" re!ric! #loo"
%low'
+Laughing i im$or!an! !o main!ain a heal!hy hear! an" re"uce !he ri- o%
car"io0acular "ieae.( ay *r Michael Miller o% !he uni0eri!y'
Laugh!er o%%e! !he im$ac! o% men!al !re( which i harm%ul !o !he hear!' Humour i
an een!ial $ar! o% $ycho!hera$y !rea!men! gi0en !o hear! $a!ien!' Fi0e minu!e o%
laugh!er i goo" enough !o re&u0ena!e !he #o"y %or 23 hour'
Humour !hera$y i ue" e/!eni0ely in yoga an" o!her al!erna!i0e !hera$ie' )ogger
ha0ing a hear!y laugh early morning in $ar- i a common igh!' 1on!rarily( $eo$le
wi!h hear! "ieae are le li-ely !o recogni4e humour or ue i! !o ge! ou! o%
uncom%or!a#le i!ua!ion' They generally laugh le( e0en in $oi!i0e i!ua!ion( an"
"i$lay more anger an" ho!ili!y'
5hen 6orman 1ouin( Li!erary E"i!or o% 6ew 7or- Time( %oun" ou! he ha" only a
lim chance o% reco0ering %rom a u""en my!eriou "ieae( he ha" 0ery li!!le !o
laugh a#ou!8
5i!hin "ay hi #o"y ha" "egenera!e" !o !he $oin! !ha! !he ha" "i%%icul!y mo0ing
himel%'
In hi ar!icle in 6ew Englan" )ournal o% Me"icine( 1ouin !ell o% hi reco0ery( in$ire"
#y !he "ico0ery !ha! 29 minu!e o% genuine #elly:laugh!er ha" a !elling
e%%ec! an" woul" gi0e him a! lea! !wo hour o% $ain:%ree lee$'
Hi laugh!er !hera$y inclu"e" creening mo!ion $ic!ure an" ome!ime !he nure
woul" rea" !o him ou! o% humour #oo-' E$ecially ue%ul were !reaury o% American
Humour an" The En&oymen! o% Laugh!er'
Hi wor- in humour !hera$y( min";#o"y me"icine( an" !he role o% $oi!i0e emo!ion
won him name a i! a""e" !o hi li%e $an' A reearch $a$er E%%ec! o% Laugh!er an"
Rela/a!ion "ecri#e how laugh!er i a !hera$y'
There i a imilari!y #e!ween laugh!er an" crying' 1rying( li-e laughing( i #aically( an
ac! o% re$ira!ory mucle' I! may #e calle" +orrow%ul !i!!ering., an" laugh!er +gla"
o#.'
1rying i orrow%ul #ecaue i! i 0ain an" laugh!er i &oy%ul a i! i rela/ing' I! i an
e/$reion o% relie%' *r )ohnon coun! i! a one o% !he $leaure o% !he min"' I! "oe
ome!hing #y "oing no!hing8
A #ur! o% #elly:laugh!er releae #o"y< na!ural $ain:u$$reing agen!' 5illiam Fry
ha "ecri#e" laugh!er a a +!o!al #o"y e/$erience. in which mucle( ner0e( hear!(
#rain an" "ige!ion $ar!ici$a!e'
The #o"y i e/ercie"' In mir!h( !he #o"y rela/e an" i oo!he"' Such i !he e%%ec!
!ha! i! i calle" in!ernal maage'
Laugh!er i a "i0erion( a $leaan! e/$en"i!ure o% energy releae" %rom o!her
ac!i0i!ie' I! i a momen!ary la$e %rom gloom8
A goo" e/ercie 0en!ila!e !he lung an" lea0e mucle( ner0e an" hear! warm an"
rela/e"' I! e/ercie no! only !he u$$er !oro( #u! alo mucle grou$ in houl"er(
arm( a#"omen( "ia$hragm an" leg' Hun"re" laugh a "ay i e=ui0alen! o% 29
minu!e o% &ogging'
A heal!h%ul +e/er!ion.( i! i a hel$ !o "ige!ion an" !he $rac!ice o% e/ci!ing i! a! "inner
!a#le i %oun"e" on me"ical $rinci$le' >ic!or Hugo ay( +I li-e !he laugh!er !ha! o$en
!he li$ an" !he hear!'.
Her#er! S$encer wa one o% !he %ir! !o !re !he maaging e%%ec! o% laugh!er' He
#elie0e" !ha! laugh!er er0e a a won"er%ul a%e!y:0al0e %or co$ing wi!h an +o0er%low
o% ner0e %orce. an" %or "icharging +"iagreea#le mucular mo!ion'. Laugh!er i
een!ial %or re!oring $hyical com%or!( #iological harmony an" in!ernal or"er'
To !u"y !he #alming e%%ec! o% laugh!er( eigh!y:e0en !u"en! were a-e" !o ol0e a
"i%%icul! ma!hema!ic $a$er' Imme"ia!ely a%!erwar"( !he !u"en! were ma"e
!o li!en !o rela/a!ion cae!!e an" !o wa!ch elec!e" camera cli$' ?o!h rela/a!ion
an" laugh!er hel$e" !o enhance circula!ion( rela/ mucle !enion( oo!he !he
ym$a!he!ic ner0ou y!em an" regula!e hear! ra!e' Their $er%ormance #e!!ere"'
I! i no! only laugh!er !ha! can hel$ a $eron !o rela/( releae an" generally le! go o%
!enion' Smiling( amuemen!( ho$e%ulne an" &oy%ul %eeling( acce$!ance o% one<
wor!h alo in$ire an" enhance rela/a!ion an" recrea!ion' A ha$$y( rela/e" min" i an
i"eal en0ironmen! %or #iological #alance( harmony an" or"er o% !he human y!em'
One im$or!an! reaon why laugh!er a%%ec! uch rela/a!ion %or !he whole #o"y ha !o
"o wi!h !he e%%ec! o% laugh!er on re$ira!ion' Laugh!er commence wi!h a long( "rawn:
ou!:e/hala!ion( i well -nown'
In a #ur! o% laugh!er our e/hala!ion are longer !han inhala!ion' A%!er laugh!er( we
are %orce" !o !a-e in an" !o e/hale long( low( "ee$ #rea!h' The ac!ion o% !hi
#rea!hing( a com#ina!ion o% "ee$ inhala!ion an" %ull e/hala!ion( o%!en in$ire
0en!ila!ion( re! an" releae'
There i laugh!er o% a chil"@innocen! an" ca$!i0a!ing' There i naugh!y laugh o% a
!eenage girl who i !ic-le"' ?u! !he wee!e! laugh!er i !ha! o% a woman you lo0e'
There i lou" laugh!er( which igni%ie a 0acan! min" an" i alo #ran"e" a #a"
manner' 7ou are a"0ie" no! !o laugh lou"ly in gen!eel com$any'
There i a $hrae in Englih language +!o laugh li-e hyena.' A !he name ugge!( i! i
animal laugh mar-e" #y #ea!ly in!en!ion' German $oe! an" $hiloo$her Goe!he ha
a$!ly o#er0e"( +Men how !heir charac!er in no!hing more clearly !han #y wha! !hey
!hin- laugha#le'.
Then you ha0e !he +hore laugh. which i e=ually re0ealing' I! in"ica!e coarene or
#ru!ali!y o% charac!er' The hin! i o#0iou@re%rain %rom i!'
Laughing a! o!her mean ma-ing %un o% !hem' I! i #a" manner' Hence( i! i
"icourage"' 5e houl" laugh wi!h $eo$le( no! a! !hem' ?u! laughing a! our own el% i
a goo" =uali!y' I! houl" #e $rac!ice"' Some %amou an"
honoura#le men ha" !hi =uali!y( which len! halo !o !heir $eronali!y'
A %inali! a! a #eau!y con!e! wa a-e" !o name !he mo! im$or!an! man in !he worl"'
She name" American humouri! ?o# Ho$e' ReaonA +He ma-e !he worl" laugh #y
laughing a! himel%'.
?o# Ho$e himel% i on recor" on !he iue' 5hen com$limen!e" on hi ha0ing a i/!h
ene( !ha! o% humour( he =ui$$e"( .i!< #ecaue I "o no! ha0e !he o!her %i0e'. Thi
a#ili!y !o laugh a! hi own el% no! only #rough! him lo0e( a$$recia!ion an" %ame #u!
alo a %a#ulou %or!une' He ma"e million ou! o% i!'