Whether one is laughing at memes or giggling while watching a sitcom, laughter is good. In fact, the pleasant feeling is even supported by science.
Laugh For Survival
According to CNN, laughter is perceived as a method of social bonding among animals. It is also thought to be a way of expressing one's playful intentions. Several animals laugh when tickled or when doing physical play.
Among humans, however, laughter evolved as a signal for communication, according to Janet Gibson, cognitive psychology professor emerita from Grinnell College.
Professor Gibson mentioned to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the chief medical correspondent of CNN, on the Chasing Life podcast that laughter kept the group intact hundreds of years ago. Laughter served as an external signal that things were fine and that people could relax without feeling threatened or anxious. Hence, it would have been a good tool for survival among humans.
She adds that the thought is that as the centuries passed, the brain retained such connections. Hence, people laugh upon hearing funny, relaxing, amusing, or surprising things.
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The Physiology of Laughter
The process of laughing, however, is surprisingly complex. Several brain and body regions are involved in the process.
CNN explains that the brain's frontal lobe is thought to aid in interpreting information received. It then determines whether the content is funny or not. An emotional response is then triggered within the limbic system, which is in-charge of handling various feelings, such as fear and pleasure. This, in turn, stimulates the motor cortex, which controls one's physical response.
Sophie Scott, a cognitive neuroscience professor from the University College London, explains that when one starts laughing, fairly huge contractions take place in the rib cage. These contractions push air, which is quite a primitive way to make some noise. In a neuroscientific sense, it is linked to alterations in endorphins that are circulating.
This leads to a pain-killing feeling. When one laughs, adrenaline levels decrease. Over time, cortisol levels also get framed. Hence, laughter may boost one's mood and decrease the intensity of physical and emotional responses.
Laughter For Stress Relief
The Mayo Clinic adds that, in terms of stress relief, laughter has the capacity to stimulate several organs. It boosts one's intake of air that is rich in oxygen, stimulates the muscles, lungs, and heart, and boosts endorphins that the brain releases.
On top of this, laughter can also help muscles relax and facilitate circulation. Both of these can help reduce some physical stress symptoms.
In the long run, laughter could also boost one's immune system, as negative thinking leads to chemical reactions that affect the body by making it more stressed and decreasing immunity levels. In contrast, positivity can facilitate the release of neuropeptides that could help combat stress and even serious health conditions.
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