Laughter is contagious, as they say. It is one of those magnificent reactions that scientists are still puzzled at. As babies, our first way of communication is laughter. Laughter is something that no one can teach you, it just comes naturally.
According to ChicagoTribune.com, between 10-15% of laughter is the result of a joke. Neuroscientist Robert Provine claims that laughter is actually a result of a social response rather than a reaction to a joke.
Provine has found that even deaf people laugh without hearing, and painting a picture of this laughter is not dependent on a single sense, but on social interactions. Even dogs, rats and monkeys laugh and this reaction happens when they are being social.
Laughter has been found to work as an antidepressant and anxiety-reducer in rats, leading researchers to believe this also happens in humans. This insulin-like, growth-factor chemical could give doctors a new target for the brain to help develop drugs to fight depression and anxiety in people.
“Largely because it’s hard to separate laughter from just good feelings. But he thinks it doesn’t really matter: “Isn’t the fact that laughter feels good when you do it, isn’t that enough?” Baltimore neuroscientist Robert Provine, a professor with the University of Maryland Baltimore County says. “Whether you speak Mandarin, French or English, everyone will understand laughter. … There’s a pattern generator in our brain that produces this sound.”
Haven’t laughed in awhile? Find a psychiatrist near you who can help, or watch Christopher Walken sing Lady Gaga’s Poker Face.
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