Two million people from 70 countries voted on 40,000 jokes in a 2002 study by Dr Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire and the British Association for the Advancement of Science to find out the funniest joke in the world. Here is the winner: A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the [...]
Laughter is powerful, comes in many flavors and that's all good. Ultimately, if you are laughing you are laughing. What took you there doesn't really matter anymore. Or does it? It has been my experience over the years that there are many levels of benefits one can get from laughter that are far beyond the [...]
Two thousand five hundred years ago, Prince Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakya clan wanted to know the cause of suffering. When he discovered it, he became known as the Buddha, the enlightened one, enlightened enough to forge a path out of suffering into bliss (which is why he is very often depicted as a smiling [...]
I was recently challenged to name the happiness hormone. It turned into a challenge because there is more than one (listed below), so which to choose? For the record: Neurotransmitter: A chemical that is released from a nerve cell which transmits an impulse from a nerve cell to another nerve, muscle, organ, or other [...]
The Tickle Machine developed at UCSD This is a little off the beaten laughter path, but believe it or not, some research is being conducted in the area of tickling. In fact, researchers at the University of California in San Diego have even constructed a “tickle machine.” Some scientists believe that laughing caused [...]
Dr. Annette Goodheart (1935-2011), a psychologist from Santa Barbara, California, specialized in laughter therapy starting in the late 1960s and was the first to create a theoretical framework for the use of voluntary simulated laughter. She created a whole set of techniques on how to use laughter to release (and thereby provide relief from) strong [...]
15 different ways to describe laughter in the English dictionary: (Kuhn, 1994, as adapted by Berk, 2001) Smirk: Slight, often fleeting upturning of the corners of the mouth, completely voluntary and controllable; Smile: Silent, voluntary and controllable, more perceptible than a smirk; begins to release endorphins; Cachinnate: To laugh loudly. Grin: Silent, controllable, but uses [...]
Everyone loves the quote “laughter is the best medicine,” and you have probably even experienced the benefits of smiling and laughter. But did you know that the simple act of smiling can boost your mood and even your immune system? Here are 15 fascinating facts about smiling: It costs nothing, but creates much. [...]
Laughter is no doubt an entertaining thing to do, yet sadly many only focus on that small tiny aspect and miss the chain of mountains of life-changing benefits that are right behind it that they would get with only a bit more engagement. Allow me to talk today about the value of laughter in health-care. [...]
The suicide of famed actor and comedian Robin Williams surprised many people. How is it possible that a man with a heart of gold, the king of comedy who could make anybody laugh, one who had what so many aspire to, fell into depression and drug abuse, and in time contracted a disease so bad [...]
