Laughter: A new field for health

BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS

WITHOUT disregarding scientific rigor in the medical care, it has been demonstrated that new fields exist that may serve as a therapeutic complement to a longer life and even reaching the age of 120 or more.

This is the experience accumulated during efforts by doctors and professionals in various fields who in a broader sense are placing state of mind at the center of the debate on what causes many illnesses. They affirm that they can show the benefits of humor and its immediate product, laughter, given that they could become positive elements in therapies for recovery.

Dr. Raymond Moody asserts that a positive state of mind creates an important curative power. To reaffirm that theory, he has certain concrete proposals for its incorporation into therapeutic activities in health institutes.

"Over the years, I have found a surprising number of cases in which patients who laughed at themselves recovered their health, or at least used their sense of humor as a positive response, adaptable to their illness," he affirms.

Corroborating a popular belief regarding the physical benefits of maintaining a good state of mind, the U.S. scientist decided to submit empirical data passed on through generations to meticulous research, which produced results that convinced him that humor and health are related. However, he does not ignore the fact that in certain cases, abnormal laughter can be a symptom of certain illnesses.

Laughter, guffawing and even smiling are complex phenomena, which involve physiological and mental aspects. Among the physiological, Moody particularly notes the relaxation of muscles, with an important decrease in muscle tone, as well as diaphragm movement, a muscle that separates the abdominal and pectoral cavities, which play an important function in breathing. The diaphragm is actively employed when we laugh.

Studies reveal the profound relationship of laughter with the body’s physiological and psychological conditions. The latter includes the process of regressing to a previous level of mental or emotional functioning, generally as a mechanism for relief from a reality that is perceived as painful or negative.

At the same time, when people laugh, they externalize emotions and feelings perceived of as an energy begging to be released, above all when we need to express happiness and a given situation does not allow it. It is a balance for negative impressions or certain very damaging emotional states that include rage and vengefulness.

The author also especially emphasizes the social factors involved in laughter, such as its contagious nature, the way it sometimes relieves socially uncomfortable situations, and the communicative power of humor.

In addition, he notes revelations in immunology, demonstrating the close ties between people’s emotional states and the functioning of their immune systems. This discovery opens a field ripe for discovery, not only for recovery therapies, but also for considering these factors when focusing on preventative activities.