Laughter Therapy

Research on Laughter:

1. Laughter activity involves both the left brain and the right brain. The left hemisphere is responsible for rationality and control, while the right hemisphere manages areas of "imagination": music, literature, creativity, and more.

The left hemisphere is limited; imagination under its control is the best example of this.

2. Researchers say that one can expand and enhance the left brain using the right brain. Laughter acts as a form of catharsis (mental release or purification) when left brain laughter is triggered involuntarily, causing a certain dormancy that gathers strength.

Physiological-Technical Aspects

Involuntary laughter is triggered by placing a hand on the diaphragm and acting through a specific breathing pattern accompanied by an "ah" "ah" "ah" sound.

This activates the physiological part while the right brain remains dominant. Imagination also begins to operate, allowing the left brain to rest and accumulate more strength. After laughter activity, we can think more clearly.

The Effect of Laughter on Physical Health

A brief history of the health value of laughter: An Indian cardiologist named Dr. Kataria concluded that laughter can heal. Laughter therapy manifests on several levels.

A. Muscles – During laughter, the body performs a wonderful healthy movement. Even muscles that are never active, such as diaphragm muscles, engage in intensive and healthy activity.

B. Weight Loss – Laughter aids in dieting. Data indicates that an hour of laughter burns 555 calories, and 2 minutes of laughter equates to 15 minutes on a rowing machine in a gym.

C. Internal Organ Massage – When we laugh, abdominal and diaphragm muscles move at an amazing pace. Their movements massage the internal abdominal organs, contributing greatly to the food digestion process.

The diaphragm muscles, as mentioned, are very difficult to release, but laughter can do it, thus releasing blocks almost immediately.

D. Curing Diseases – By working on the laughter system, improvements in vascular system diseases can be achieved, solving issues like heart attacks and hypertension. Laughter also helps in curing asthma, bronchitis, and all respiratory system diseases.

E. Respiratory System – Most of us suffer from some level of stress, which leads to shallow breathing from the neck up. We barely draw in half a liter with each breath, although our lung capacity is 5-6 liters. Part of the inhaled air gets trapped in less ventilated spaces where gas exchange is slow. When we laugh, we exhale strongly and inhale clean, well-oxygenated air, which penetrates our tissues.

The Impact of Laughter on the Soul

1. Furthermore, during laughter, a substance called endorphin is secreted into our brain. This substance is present in medications given to those with depression problems, such as Prozac. It is also responsible for mental calmness and tranquility. During laughter, we produce enormous amounts of endorphins naturally and for free, instilling inner peace in a person's soul.

2. Studies show that while a person laughs, the brain resets for a few seconds and stops thinking, especially worrying. This gives the brain and subsequently the soul a slight calm. When done routinely, negative thoughts disappear, and it becomes easier to enter positive thoughts that make the soul happy.

3. When children laugh, their academic achievements are much higher. They are willing to invest, and discipline problems decrease.

Laughter (and Joy) in Jewish Sources

1. Laughter opens the wells of wisdom – "For Rav, before he began to teach, would say a humorous word, and the students would laugh. At the end, he would sit in fear, and begin the lesson (Shabbat 30).

2. Some have suggested a hint "Happy in their coming and going with joy" – they do their Master's will in awe. Initially and at the end, there is joy, but seriousness lies in the middle of the lesson.

3. From a Narrow Soul to a Broad Soul – "Through laughter, one moves from a small world to a great one, from a tight time to a broad one, and from a narrow soul to a broad soul." (Book "Ketzer Shem Tov" - in the name of the holy Baal Shem Tov)

4. The Talmud says (Shabbat 30) it is written, "I praised joy;" this is the joy of a mitzvah. To teach that

the Shechinah dwells not from laziness or sadness but from the joy of a mitzvah."

Sorrow is a bodily disease, and when a person is sick, he cannot properly serve his Creator (Etz Yosef in the name of Tosafot Rosh).

It is further written: "Since it does not say 'I praised the mitzvah' but 'I praised the joy,' we derive that

the main thing is the joy one has when performing the mitzvah."

5. The main thing is to always be joyful. One should make himself happy in any way possible, even through foolish things, making himself a fool, engaging in foolishness and laughter, jumping, and dancing to attain joy, which is a great thing. (Likutey Moharan Part 2, 48)

6. But know that melancholy cannot direct the mind as desired, making it difficult to settle one's thoughts. Only

through joy can one lead the mind as desired and settle one's thoughts."

7. This is the concept of humor of mind (Shabbat 78), which is a great thing, as joy is connected to the mind and understanding, freeing the mind and bringing composure. Also, above, this creates a great unity through mind humor." (There, Part 2, 10)

8. All the ailments that come upon a person stem only from compromised joy. Medical experts have also elaborated on this, that all illness comes from melancholy and sadness, and joy is a great remedy. The principle is to strive with all one's might to be happy always. (There, 24 Tanina)

Practical Techniques in the Field of Laughter (from a laughter workshop)

A. Personal Expression Circle - Participants stand in a circle, each holding hands with the person next to them, forming a human circle.

Each person is asked to make a sound, perform a specific body movement, and accompany it with a big and releasing laugh. Then, all participants imitate the person, doing just as they do: stating their name, making the body movement, and replicating their laughter sounds.

The circle provides everyone the opportunity to express themselves; everyone listens solely to them. For some, this stage of the human circle exercise is the only stage all week to express themselves.

This technique is recommended for children in gardens or classes to let each child contribute something from their personality to their peers and then enjoy the fact that everyone repeats after them in unison, strengthening self-confidence and self-image.

B. Argument Laughter - Stand before a mirror, imagine seeing your office, and start to scold with giggles. Ho ho ho to the people in the office who anger you. The argument laughter exercise solves problems of resentment and anger that can arise anywhere people work together, in the office or at home.

C. Laughter Pump - It is known that a pump absorbs everything in its path. The imaginary pump should be directed toward our brain - which operates incessantly, generating negative, obsessive thoughts. To draw the negative thought from our mind as we make sucking laughter sounds, distancing it from our mind and exclaiming loudly: It's not mine - what is such a thought doing in my head? Then bursting into laughter...

Mothers identifying different fears in their children can mitigate those fears using this technique: "Here's the fear. Poof, we caught it, we caught the fear; now let's slowly suck it out as we accompany it with giggles and loudly say: It's not yours; it doesn't belong to you at all. Let's get rid of it...

Also possible (particularly effective against obsessive thoughts)

Everyone has intrusive thoughts; in this exercise, we ask each person to think of a thought that annoys and bothers them. Then they place their hand above their head and "suck" the intrusive thought out with their hand three times.

Then saying "Well, I caught it," "transferring" it to the other hand. Holding the thought in the other hand, looking at the hand, and declaring: "I control you, and you don't control me." Repeating this three times while internalizing the idea's meaning, then opening the hand and "throwing" the thought to the floor, "stomping" on it hard and... laughing.

The laughter comes naturally from the release involved in this wonderful process. It's a powerful tool.

D. Box Laughter - Adults with compulsive thoughts managed to get rid of them by thought exercises, among them the "Box Laughter" technique, based on the same principle.

In this exercise, we encounter a small box in every person's heart, containing negative thoughts and emotions we don't want. This exercise requires opening the box with a somewhat rigid, imaginary key, counting one, two, three. The counting is paired with laughs: ah, hoo, hee, then tossing all negative thoughts into the box and throwing the box into the sea.

E. Relaxation through Laughter - Lying on mats, the body enters a relaxation of all muscles, turning off lights to facilitate releasing laughter sounds since nobody sees us. Play calming or funny music, then release streams of laughter from our body. Laughter produced when the body is lying down is the most effective and correct because all body parts relax, and all energy in the body focuses on releasing laughter streams. That's why children always love to roll over on the bed and laugh because it's the most fun way to laugh. This exercise is recommended to do at the end since all "leftover" laughter gets released, freeing the body and soul completely.

Being on the path to joy means being open to receiving love, doing everything that brings you joy, and committing to yourself.

Dan Cohen - Didactic Diagnostician and Certified Senior in Special Education and Corrective Teaching