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Slaughter is the best medicine. Laughter, however, is an audible expression or appearance of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy (laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a physiological reaction) from jokes, tickling, and other stimuli. Inhaling nitrous oxide can also induce laughter; other drugs, such as cannabis, can also induce episodes of strong laughter. Strong laughter can sometimes bring an onset of tears or even moderate muscular pain.

Laughter is a part of human behaviour regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seemingly contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.^[1] This may account in part for the popularity of laugh tracks in situation comedy television shows.

The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body is called gelotology.

Nature of laughter

Recently researchers have shown infants as early as 17 days old have vocal laughing sounds or spontaneous laughter. Early Human Development 2006This conflicts with earlier studies indicating that babies usually start to laugh at about four months of age; J.Y.T. Greig writes, quoting ancient authors, that laughter is not believed to begin in a child until the child is forty days old. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).^[2]

== Laughter and the brain == :)

Principal fissures and lobes of the cerebrum viewed laterally. (Frontal lobe is blue, temporal lobe is green.)

Modern neurophysiology states that laughter is linked with the activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which produces endorphins after a rewarding activity.

Research has shown that parts of the limbic system are involved in laughter^{[citation needed]}. The limbic system is a primitive part of the brain that is involved in emotions and helps us with basic functions necessary for survival. Two structures in the limbic system are involved in producing laughter: the amygdala and the hippocampus^{[citation needed]}.

The December 7, 1984 Journal of the American Medical Association describes the neurological causes of laughter as follows:

"Although there is no known 'laugh center' in the brain, its neural mechanism has been the subject of much, albeit inconclusive, speculation. It is evident that its expression depends on neural paths arising in close association with the telencephalic and diencephalic centers concerned with respiration. Wilson considered the mechanism to be in the region of the mesial thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamus. Kelly and co-workers, in turn, postulated that the tegmentum near the periaqueductal grey contains the integrating mechanism for emotional expression. Thus, supranuclear pathways, including those from the limbic system that Papez hypothesised to mediate emotional expressions such as laughter, probably come into synaptic relation in the reticular core of the brain stem. So while purely emotional responses such as laughter are mediated by subcortical structures, especially the hypothalamus, and are stereotyped, the cerebral cortex can modulate or suppress them."

Causes

Late 19th century or early 20th century depiction of different stages of laughter on advertising cards

Common causes for laughter are sensations of joy and humor, however other situations may cause laughter as well.

A general theory that explains laughter is called the relief theory. Sigmund Freud summarized it in his theory that laughter releases tension and "psychic energy". This theory is one of the justifications of the beliefs that laughter is beneficial for one's health.<ref name=mn2002%26gt%3B M.P. Mulder, A. Nijholt (2002) "Humor Research: State of the Art"</ref> This theory explains why laughter can be as a coping mechanism for when one is upset, angry or sad.

Philosopher John Morreall theorizes that human laughter may have its biological origins as a kind of shared expression of relief at the passing of danger.

For example, this is how this theory works in the case of humor: a joke creates an inconsistency, the sentence appears to be not relevant, and we automatically try to understand what the sentence says, supposes, doesn't say, and implies; if we are successful in solving this 'cognitive riddle', and we find out what is hidden within the sentence, and what is the underlying thought, and we bring foreground what was in the background, and we realize that the surprise wasn't dangerous, we eventually laugh with relief. Otherwise, if the inconsistency is not resolved, there is no laugh, as Mack Sennett pointed out: "when the audience is confused, it doesn't laugh" (this is the one of the basic laws of a comedian, called "exactness"). It is important to note that the inconsistency may be resolved, and there may still be no laugh. Due to the fact that laughter is a social mechanism, we may not feel like we are in danger, however, the physical act of laughing may not take place. In addition, the extent of the inconsistency (timing, rhythm, etc) has to do with the amount of danger we feel, and thus how intense or long we laugh. This explanation is also confirmed by modern neurophysiology (see section Laughter and the Brain).

References

^ Camazine, Deneubourg, Franks, Sneyd, Theraulaz, Bonabeau, Self-Organization in Biological Systems, Princeton University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-691-11624-5 --ISBN 0-691-01211-3 (pbk.) p. 18
^ Cousins, Norman, Anatomy of an illness as perceived by the patient : reflections on healing and regeneration, introd. by René Dubos, New York : Norton, 1979. ISBN 0393012522

External links

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[1] Camazine, Deneubourg, Franks, Sneyd, Theraulaz, Bonabeau, Self-Organization in Biological Systems, Princeton University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-691-11624-5 --ISBN 0-691-01211-3 (pbk.) p. 18

[2] Cousins, Norman, Anatomy of an illness as perceived by the patient : reflections on healing and regeneration, introd. by René Dubos, New York : Norton, 1979. ISBN 0393012522

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 [[File:Laughter 2 by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Two girls laughing]]
-'''Laughter''' is an audible expression  or appearance of [[happiness]], or an inward feeling of joy (laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a [[physiological]] reaction) from [[jokes]], [[tickling]], and other stimuli. [[Inhaling]] [[nitrous oxide]] can also induce laughter; other drugs, such as [[cannabis]], can also induce episodes of strong laughter. Strong laughter can sometimes bring an onset of [[tears]] or even moderate muscular pain.
+'''Slaughter''' is the best medicine. Laughter, however, is an audible expression  or appearance of [[happiness]], or an inward feeling of joy (laughing on the inside). It may ensue (as a [[physiological]] reaction) from [[jokes]], [[tickling]], and other stimuli. [[Inhaling]] [[nitrous oxide]] can also induce laughter; other drugs, such as [[cannabis]], can also induce episodes of strong laughter. Strong laughter can sometimes bring an onset of [[tears]] or even moderate muscular pain.
 Laughter is a part of [[human behaviour]] regulated by the [[brain]], helping humans clarify their intentions in [[social interaction]] and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group &mdash; it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seemingly contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a [[positive feedback]].<ref>Camazine, Deneubourg, Franks, Sneyd, Theraulaz, Bonabeau, ''Self-Organization in Biological Systems'', ''[[Princeton University Press]]'', 2003. ISBN 0-691-11624-5 --ISBN 0-691-01211-3 (pbk.) p. 18</ref> This may account in part for the popularity of [[laugh track]]s in [[situation comedy]] television shows.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 == Nature of laughter ==
 [[Image:Laughter by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|Laughter is a common response to [[tickling]]]]
-Recently researchers have shown infants as early as 17 days old have vocal laughing sounds or spontaneous laughter. [http://www.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ai/papers/ref3/kawakami2006.pdf Early Human Development 2006]This conflicts with earlier studies indicating that babies usually start to laugh at about four months of age; J.Y.T. Greig writes, quoting ancient authors, that laughter is not believed to begin in a child until the child is forty days old. <ref name="Greig">J.Y.T. Greig, ''The Psychology of Comedy and Laughter''</ref> "Laughter is Genetic" Robert R. Provine, Ph.D. has spent decades studying laughter. In his interview for WebMD, he indicated "Laughter is a mechanism everyone has; laughter is part of universal human vocabulary. There are thousands of languages, hundreds of thousands of dialects, but everyone speaks laughter in pretty much the same way.” Everyone can laugh. Babies have the ability to laugh before they ever speak. Children who are born blind and deaf still retain the ability to laugh.
+Recently researchers have shown infants as early as 17 days old have vocal laughing sounds or spontaneous laughter. [http://www.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ai/papers/ref3/kawakami2006.pdf Early Human Development 2006]This conflicts with earlier studies indicating that babies usually start to laugh at about four months of age; J.Y.T. Greig writes, quoting ancient authors, that laughter is not believed to begin in a child until the child is forty days old. <ref name=%26quot%3BGreig%26quot%3B%26gt%3BJ%2EY%2ET%2E Greig, ''The Psychology of Comedy and Laughter''</ref> "Laughter is Genetic" Robert R. Provine, Ph.D. has spent decades studying laughter. In his interview for WebMD, he indicated "Laughter is a mechanism everyone has; laughter is part of universal human vocabulary. There are thousands of languages, hundreds of thousands of dialects, but everyone speaks laughter in pretty much the same way.” Everyone can laugh. Babies have the ability to laugh before they ever speak. Children who are born blind and deaf still retain the ability to laugh.
 Provine argues that “Laughter is primitive, an unconscious vocalization.” And if it seems you laugh more than others, Provine argues that it probably is genetic. In a study of the “Giggle Twins,” two exceptionally happy [[twin]]s were separated at birth and not reunited until 43 years later. Provine reports that “until they met each other, neither of these exceptionally happy ladies had known anyone who laughed as much as she did.” They reported this even though they both had been brought together by their adoptive parents, whom they indicated were “undemonstrative and dour.” Provine indicates that the twins “inherited some aspects of their laugh sound and pattern, readiness to laugh, and perhaps even taste in humor.” [http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/53/61405.htm WebMD 2002]
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 Common causes for laughter are sensations of [[joy]] and [[humor]], however other situations may cause laughter as well.
-A general theory that explains laughter is called the '''relief theory'''. [[Sigmund Freud]] summarized it in his theory that laughter releases tension and "psychic energy". This theory is one of the justifications of the beliefs that laughter is beneficial for one's health.<ref name=mn2002> M.P. Mulder, A. Nijholt (2002) [http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/580062.html "Humor Research: State of the Art"]</ref>  This theory explains why laughter can be as a [[coping mechanism]] for when one is upset, [[angry]] or [[sad]].
+A general theory that explains laughter is called the '''relief theory'''. [[Sigmund Freud]] summarized it in his theory that laughter releases tension and "psychic energy". This theory is one of the justifications of the beliefs that laughter is beneficial for one's health.<ref name=mn2002%26gt%3B M.P. Mulder, A. Nijholt (2002) [http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/580062.html "Humor Research: State of the Art"]</ref>  This theory explains why laughter can be as a [[coping mechanism]] for when one is upset, [[angry]] or [[sad]].
 [[Philosopher]] [[John Morreall]] theorizes that human laughter may have its biological origins as a kind of shared expression of relief at the passing of danger.