Laughing Too

It feels good to laugh. Some of the wisest people in the world consider laughter to be one of the best forms of meditation. Recent research indicates that just expecting to laugh will trigger the release of endorphins.

In a paper being presented in an American Physiological Society session at Experimental Biology 2006, Lee S. Berk of Loma Linda University, reports that not only is there real science and psychophysiology, but just the anticipation of the "mirthful laughter" involved in watching your favorite funny movie has some very surprising and significant neuroendocrine/hormone effects.
According to Berk: "The blood drawn from experimental subjects just before they watched the video had 27% more beta-endorphins and 87% more human growth hormone, compared to blood from the control group, which didn't anticipate the watching of a humorous video. Between blood pulls, the control group stayed in a waiting room and could choose from a wide variety of magazines," he explained.

....Berk said that the strong difference between the two groups in terms of human growth hormone (HGH) and beta-endorphin blood levels was maintained from just prior to the beginning of video watching, throughout the hour of viewing and afterwards, also.

"We believe the results suggest that the anticipation of a humor/laughter eustress (positive stress) event initiates changes in neuroendocrine response prior to the onset of the event itself," Berk said. "From our prior studies, this modulation appears to be concomitant with mood state changes, and taken together, these would appear to carry important, positive implications for wellness, disease-prevention and most certainly stress-reduction," he noted. Read more here.

Norman Cousins anticipated these findings in his book Anatomy of an Illness. Likewise, Zen teacher Alan Watts featured laughter prominently in his approach to Zen meditation.All of the emotions should be exercised regularly, in a thoughtful manner--we need to own all of ourselves. Mirth is one emotion that we especially should not neglect.

Laughter is contagious. A contagious agent that should be shared as often as possible.