Mexico City.- Each Sunday in May is celebrated on world Laughter Dayan initiative that seeks to highlight the physical, emotional and social benefits of laughing. This ephemeris was promoted in 1998 by Indian doctor Madan Kataria, creator of the Yoga of laughter, A practice that mixes deep breathing with induced laughter that, in a group, usually becomes genuine laughs.
World Laughter Day: a Health and emotional well -being celebration
Far from being just a sympathetic gesture, laughter has a deep impact on well -being. The renowned neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl described her as a way of standing before the world, an attitude that helps cope with existence. Dr. Gabriela González Alemán, an expert in behavior genetics, reinforces this idea by explaining that active brain areas linked to happiness and can counteract the effects of constant complaint.
According to González Alemán, when they laugh, endorphins and dopamine are released, substances that generate pleasure and well -being. These brain chemicals help cut the negative cycle of thoughts, creating a “Virtuous Circle” that favors a more positive mentality. Laughing, then, is not just a spontaneous act, but a powerful tool to improve emotional health.
Humor from psychoanalysis: free tensions and resignify the repressed
From the psychoanalytic look, laughter also has a central role. The psychologist and writer Florencia Casabella argues that Freud considered humor as an emotional exhaust valve. For the father of psychoanalysis, joke is a formation of the unconscious that allows to say what cannot be expressed openly, using mechanisms such as double meaning and condensation.
Casabella remarks that humor helps to integrate the repressed and resignify traumatic experiences, acting as a defense against the painful. The key is that, when laughing, the body is not only relieved but also the psychic structure is strengthened. According to Freud, humor allows reality to face it without denying it, obtaining pleasure where there would be suffering normally.
In addition, for a joke to be considered as such, it must generate laughter in the other. Therefore, social validation is fundamental. If it does not cause laughter, it loses its symbolic value and can even be interpreted as offensive. Thus, laughter becomes a shared phenomenon, which unites, releases and communicates.
Science behind laughter: a process with multiple benefits
Laughter has proven positive effects at the physiological level. The neurologist Roberto Schieffelbein points out that laughing activates brain areas such as the tonsil, the hippocampus and the prefrontal lobe, all related to emotions and the interpretation of reality. At the same time, it stimulates the autonomic nervous system and improves cardiovascular, respiratory and immunological functions.
When we laugh, the body releases endorphins, substances that act as natural analgesics and generate a strong feeling of well -being. It has also been proven that laughter strengthens the immune system, which helps the agency to defend themselves better from diseases. It has even proposed that mirror neurons are involved in the spread of laughter, similar to what happens with yawning.
In times of high demand and competitiveness, these benefits charge special relevance. Laughter not only improves mood momentarily, but can be an ally to prevent and reduce the impact of chronic stress. Therefore, integrating it into daily life is not trivial: it can make a big difference.
Laughter in modern life: an ally underestimated
At present, social demands, lack of time and stress directly affect the frequency with which we laugh. Dr. Schieffelbein warns that we live in a context that threatens laughter and, consequently, against happiness. Problems such as anxiety, hypertension or sleep disorders can relate to the lack of emotional well -being.
Current society, often marked by self -censorship and political correction, also limits the forms of expression of humor. Casabella points out that, although humor continues to fulfill its psychic function, it has been transformed. Jokes that previously caused laughter today can generate rejection, which makes many people repress this way of freeing tensions.
Even so, humor remains an emotional survival tool. Laughing the difficult, even if it seems inappropriate, it can be a way of processing pain. Recovering the sense of humor is not only healthy: it is an act of resistance to daily adversity.
The power of incongruity and the unexpected in laughter
What causes a laugh? The answer is as varied as subjective. Schieffelbein explains that absurd situations, unexpected outcome and inconsistencies are usually great triggers of humor. There are also people who, under extreme stress, react with laughter attacks, an emotional response that allows you to release accumulated tension.
Some anthropologists consider that laughter has a social function: it can serve to reinforce group cohesion or exclude those who do not fit the norms. The mockery, although it has a negative side, meets that role of setting limits within a group. However, not every humor is exclusive: it can also unite, heal and relieve.
In short, as Casabella states, what is funny is often what cannot be said directly. Laughter, then, appears as a disguised way to express the forbidden, generating relief that goes beyond the body: it also laughs at the soul.
A vital resource for difficult times
Laughter is much more than a spontaneous gesture. It is a human expression with deep impact on physical, emotional and social health. From its psychic function to its effect on the immune system, the benefits of laughing are backed by both psychoanalysis and neurosciences.
In an increasingly stressful world, recovering the ability to laugh is fundamental. It is not just about looking for funny moments, but about allowing humor to be a tool to live better. As Freud said, laughing at a difficult situation does not erase it, but allows to face her with another attitude.
You might also be interested: Children’s Day: 5 curiosities that you probably didn’t know about this date
Thus, World Laughter Day is not just an excuse to have a good time: It is a reminder that sometimes, the simplest can be the most powerful. Laughing does not solve all problems, but certainly helps cope with them with a little more lightness.
