Limelight: Enter laughing By Lubna Abdel-Aziz If "all the world's a stage," and we are all merely players, we would be wise to follow the simple stage instruction "enter laughing." Used mostly by playwrights, it is the best counsel at any time, or at all times particularly in this age of doom and gloom. Except for comedies and comedians there is no laughter. The leaders of nations are not even smiling. Men of religion are angry and defiant. Politicians are bickering, environmentalists are dissatisfied, business men are worried, and the rest of us must carry the burden of financial insecurity and a weak economy. What better reason than to face this miserable state of affairs with resounding laughter? We may enter this world crying and for good reason. However, within only a few days of birth we discover there is little we can do to change "this sorry scheme of things entire." Why not just laugh at it? Researchers have shown infants as old as 17 days have vocal laughing sounds and not at four months as was previously thought. Therefore babies laugh before they speak. Laughter is the only language spoken by the whole universe and understood equally by all in much the same manner. This audible expression of happiness is one of the most pleasant sensations among humans as well as animals. Scientists have noted the similarity in forms of laughter among various primates which proves that laughter is derived from a common origin among its primate species. In short, it is genetic. Psychology professor Robert Provine PhD has spent close to two decade exploring the new psychology of laughter -- how and why people laugh. One of his basic findings is that laughter is not necessarily inspired by humour or funny remarks, but a natural response to social situations. People laugh when interacting with other people, 30 times more frequently than when they are alone. Long before humour there was laughter. Since Darwin, scientists have noticed the sounds made by other primates when they are being playful. This pro- laughter is the source from which human laughter evolved. It is part of the human vocabulary, an unconscious verbalization of joy. A general theory that explains laughter is the "relief theory" summarized by Sigmund Freud, as the release of tension in the form of psychic energy. Philosopher John Morreal believes that human laughter may have its biological origins as a kind of relief at the passing of danger. Nietzsche however, preferred to think of laughter as a reaction to the human sense of loneliness and mortality. Though laughter has occupied the hearts and minds of many philosophers, writers, scientists, researchers and the common man, it is only in recent years that a link has been discovered between laughter and medicinal benefits. In 2005, researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center discovered that laughter causes the dilatation of the inner lining of blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow. Dr. William Fry of Stanford University concurs. He theorizes that beta-endorphin-like compounds release nitric oxide resulting in dilation of the vessels. That old saying that "laughter is the best medicine" has suddenly become brand new, backed by scientific evidence. Folk wisdom also says that laughter is contagious. Just listening to someone else laugh can be enough to start one laughing. That is the theory behind the revolutionary idea of "Laughter Yoga." It has taken the world by storm and is now practiced in about 60 countries. The brainchild of Dr. Kadan Kataria, a physician of MumbaiIndia, Laughter Yoga was first launched in March of 1995 at a park in India with merely a handful of persons. Today it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6,000 Social Laughter Clubs around the globe. The theory behind laughter yoga is that anyone can laugh for no reason without relying on humour, wit, jokes, or comedy. Forced laughter soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The brain does not differentiate between both. Laughter Yoga Clubs have caught on like wildfire and have been featured in a million stories in every medium from the Wall Street Journal to the Oprah Winfrey Show. Without membership fee, forms, or fuss, laughter clubs are gaining momentum everywhere. Non-political, non-religious, and non-profit they are run by volunteers, trained in Laughter Yoga by teachers and leaders under the supervision of Laughter Club International in India and Laughter Yoga International in the rest of the world. Could this really be true? Could we just simply laugh our troubles away? Clinical research on Laughter Yoga methods conducted at several universities in Austria, India and the United States, proved that laughter produces significant general health improvement. Laughter is found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, increase muscle flexion, and boost immune function by raising levels of gamma interferon, and B cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also releases endorphins, the body's natural pain killer and produces a general sense of well-being. Mere anticipation of laughter produces remarkably positive results. Researchers at the University of California at Irvine found that looking forward to having a good laugh can boost the immune system and reduce levels of stress hormones. Anticipation is 1/2 or 2/3rd of the fun, resulting from humour's ability to help us cope during tough times, which is quite incredible. Laughter yoga has been introduced to schools, businesses, prisons, amongst the aged, and even the hard of hearing. This is real stuff. The amazing results make me want to rush to join the nearest Yoga Laughter Club. Does one exist here? If not, why not start one. We all need laughter in our lives and now we have scientific evidence as to why it is so necessary. Until we join that club let us laugh as often and as long as we can. Make sure it is an audible laughter, a hearty Ha-Ha- Ha, and not just a snort or a chuckle that is a true sign of happiness. So much more research for medicine to explore, while we wait laughing. It is important to enter the world stage laughing and even more important to exit laughing. The most wasted of all days is one without laughter -- e. e. Cummings (1894 -- 1962)
