The best medicine: why laughter is good

Antique thinkers wrote about the positive effect of laughter on life expectancy. Later, during the Middle Ages, laughing in public was not accepted for cultural and religious reasons. Laughter was associated with the machinations of the devil. But it is impossible to completely forbid people to laugh, because this is the reaction of the body, which is sometimes impossible to control.

The man who made death laugh

Laughter began to be studied from a scientific point of view only at the beginning of the 1964th century. And in XNUMX, the first case of successful treatment with laughter therapy was registered. American journalist Norman Cousins ​​suffered from a rare and very severe form of joint inflammation. The disease affected the entire skeletal system. The doctors could not help him. With the consent of his doctor, Norman checked out of the hospital, rented a hotel room for three weeks, and watched non-stop comedies all the while. He did not stop laughing and recovered.

The mobility of the joints was restored, Norman was able to return to work and even play tennis. Cousins ​​dedicated a book to his miraculous healing. A separate science about the benefits of laughter has appeared – helotology. Norman Cousins, who was nicknamed “the man who made death laugh,” even lectured at the medical university, although he was not a doctor himself.

Laughter cure

Laughter affects the body in three ways.

• First, it gives a load on the muscles. In this regard, laughter can be called pleasant gymnastics or compared to a short jog. Along the way, laughter stimulates the digestive system. When we laugh, the abdominal muscles tighten, followed by the smooth muscles of the intestines. As a result, peristalsis improves.
• Secondly, laughter engages the respiratory system. It provokes irregular breathing, similar to what yogis practice: inhalation, retention, and then a series of short exhalations. Such breathing causes emotional relaxation. The lungs are completely freed from air, gas exchange is accelerated. This helps lower cholesterol and normalize blood pressure.
• And finally, the third act – psycho-emotional: when we laugh, the brain produces more endorphins (hormones of happiness), which relieve pain and tension, and more neurotransmitters responsible for good mood, good spirits, memory and sleep. It is believed that patients treated with laughter therapy take 30% less painkillers.

Laughing is allowed

Laughter is nature’s most important defense mechanism against stress. According to the theory of evolution, any reflex helps in the preservation of the species. Of all the living creatures on Earth, only humans can laugh. Perhaps it was laughter that helped us survive. And it still helps.

Laughter helps to find a common language with strangers and to become one’s own in a new team. Many business consultants advise their clients to specifically prepare appropriate jokes for difficult negotiations. The ability to correctly defuse the situation in time has. To those who know how to laugh and sincerely laugh, people are more likely to be imbued with trust. Laughter brings together, unites and relieves stress. It is purely psychologically more difficult to argue with a person with whom you just laughed heartily together.

In addition, laughter is a way to resist circumstances, it is easier to experience crisis moments. It has long been observed that when the economy is down and living standards are down, comedy shows rise in ratings. And there is nothing wrong with watching them. Laughter is the most accessible medicine for depression and some diseases.