Is laughter truly the best medicine? When we were young, we laughed a lot as life was more fun and easy. However, as things get more serious during adulthood, laughter becomes less frequent. This is why many adults live a dull life, according to statistics. Laughter is an essential experience for human beings. Not only does it reduce stress, but it also strengthens relationships and makes life more meaningful. Here are some fun facts about laughter.
1. Humans Can Die of Laughter
Even though laughter is mostly a positive experience, it can sometimes lead to death. Over the years, several people have died of laughter. This mostly happens when laughter triggers a heart attack or asphyxiation.
In some cases, the intense emotions caused by laughter can cause a loss of consciousness. Some notable deaths caused by laughter include when an Englishman died after laughing uncontrollably from watching the TV show “The Goodies.” It’s said that he laughed for 25 minutes straight.
2. Dogs Try to Make Humans Laugh
Several studies have shown that dogs understand human emotions and have the ability to react to them. This is why dogs will continue doing something if they notice you’re laughing. Take kissing, for example. The more you laugh as your dog licks you, the more frantically they will do it. This applies to playing or making funny gestures. Therefore, dogs spend a lot of time trying to make humans laugh, making them excellent pets.
3. Canned Laughter is No Longer a Thing (As of 2024)
In the past, most sitcoms had a prerecorded and sweetened laugh track. This concept was developed in the 1950s and featured in popular comedies like The Big Bang Theory. However, by 2020, canned laughter in sitcoms was discontinued.
Over time, people grew to hate canned laughter because it would be inserted in parts that weren’t even funny. Comedies like The Office also proved that films could do without canned laughter. This concept goes way back to the era of theatres, where people would be hired to laugh at the right moments.
4. Laughter is Contagious
According to renowned psychologist Robert Provine, someone is 30 times more likely to laugh in the presence of other people than when they are on their own, which proves that laughter is indeed contagious. The human brain responds to the sounds of laughter by preparing facial muscles to join in on this social behavior.
5. Dog Laughter Eases Anxiety in Shelters
To begin with, dogs can laugh. However, their laughter is comprised of huffing and panting. In shelters where tension is always high, research shows that playing recorded playback of laugh-like vocalizations can reduce stress and anxiety.
Laughter often signals playtime, which is associated with more fun and less stress. Thanks to this research, shelter managers have found a way to ease stress amongst caged dogs.
6. There was a Laughter Epidemic in Tanzania in 1962
Tanganyika, present-day Tanzania, once experienced a mass hysteria of uncontrolled laughter in 1962. What may seem a joke to many caused the closure of 14 schools and other public facilities. It all started with one schoolgirl who experienced anxiety-induced laughter. This condition spread amongst other students and nearby residents. Eventually, it affected more than 1,000 people. Those affected would laugh for hours or even months.
7. Laughter Can Trigger Asthma
As much as asthma patients try to avoid allergens, laughter can also trigger an attack. Scientists have discovered that laughter can induce asthma symptoms. Doctors have yet to discover why this happens but believe it is triggered through hyperventilation, a form of exercise. Laughter often causes triggers if the asthma is not well controlled.
8. There is a Form of Laughter Yoga
Yoga comprises spiritual, mental, and physical practices to sync the body and mind. There are different types of yoga, and one in particular revolves around laughter. Invented by Dr Madan Kataria, laughter yoga is an exercise where people laugh without listening to jokes, comedy, or humor.
Dr Madan claims that laughter yoga can promote happiness while relieving stress. Few studies have been done on laughter yoga; therefore, its effectiveness can’t be fully gauged.
9. Post Orgasm Clarity is Sometimes Referred to as Devil’s Laughter
German philosopher described the moment after an orgasm as the devil’s laughter. He linked the lonely moment just after an orgasm as a realization that humans are slaves to biology and not our own happiness.
10. Laughter Can Boost Immunity
Laughing enhances the production of anti-infection enzymes in the body, which protects humans from infections. Therefore, laughter is a natural immunity booster.
11. Laughter is Sometimes a Panic Response
Laughter isn’t often recognized as one of the key symptoms of flight or fight. However, it can sometimes be caused by panic. When tickled, laughter comes out as a panic response. This is evident in the phenomenon that humans can’t tickle themselves because the body senses they are not in danger. However, if done by somebody else, tickling automatically triggers an unwanted feeling.
12. It’s Illegal to Wear a Fake Moustache and Cause Laughter in Alabama Churches
In the state of Alabama, one can be arrested or fined for wearing a fake mustache to church with the intent of making people laugh. This law is quite interesting because wearing a fake mustache is okay if the intention is not to make people laugh. Because of the many loopholes within this law, the local police do not walk around inspecting who’s wearing a fake mustache.
13. Laughter is Based on Familiarity
There’s a reason that you find Jimmy Carr or Trevor Noah funnier than the guy who just showed up at the comedy club. Laughter is deeply rooted in familiarity. Several studies have shown that familiarity in conversations is a crucial determiner in laughter production. People are more likely to laugh at a joke said by a family member or friend than do the same for a similar joke told by a stranger.