Laughter is the best medicine. Surely you've heard this cliché countless times in your life, but have you ever stopped to consider what this statement actually means? And if laughter really is the best medicine, are we prescribing enough of it?
We know now through a multitude of studies that laughter has positive physical effects on the body, such as a reduction of stress hormones,[1] but to reduce the impact of laughter to purely physical events seems just absurd. There is clearly a more profound aspect of the experience.
Consider the last time you had a deep, genuine laugh, or try to generate a laugh right now. The experience of a hearty laugh is simply indescribable. We might use words like joy or bliss to try and characterize the experience, but clearly, that does not do it justice. Any description using words always seems to fall short.
The moment you are overcome with laughter you are forced to accept the world as it is, not as it ought to be.
The clock in your mind stops ticking. Pure awareness of the present moment seems to wash away all the worries and thoughts that typically inhabit your mind. You become effortlessly immersed in the present moment, the only thing we can ever truly own in the world.
The I, the thinker of your thoughts, seems to disappear. Or perhaps he doesn't exist at all but instead is an illusion of our ability to remember the past and draw complex connections. All of the comparisons and concerns this person in our head seems to thrive on are suddenly absent, and all we are left with is the experience of life itself.
Laughter is really just a very intense, quick form of meditation. All illusions of the self seemingly disappear as you surrender completely to the bliss that has overcome your being. You seemingly have no choice but to discard the illusion of 'being somebody.'
At once we all know how incredible laughter is, and yet it doesn't seem we use its power nearly as often as we should. Why is this?
Life is jam-packed with opportunities to laugh. Don't believe me? Spend some time with a baby. While you may look at a cat on the street with solemn disregard, put that furry feline next to a baby and watch the uncontrollable laughter begin.
This stark contrast in reaction by two humans to the same situation allows us to draw a profound conclusion about the origin of laughter: perhaps situations are not strictly boring or funny, but rather are the result of how we look at them.
Laughter is the best medicine. Let's prescribe more of it!
A good laugh should not be an activity restricted to those times we are talking to a funny friend or watching a TV show. In the video below, Alan Watts demonstrates using laughing as a form of early morning meditation per the recommendation of a Zen master.
When you are distracted by a mind constantly racing with thoughts and addicted to stimulation, it is easy to ignore the simpler sources of laughter in the world. Practicing mindfulness and cutting back on technological stimulation is a great way to just flat out laugh more each day. Who doesn't want to laugh more each day?
If you would like to read more about mindfulness and learn the techniques that can help you laugh more in your daily life, I would recommend starting with Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
If you enjoyed this article and want to read more about how to improve your everyday life, please follow me @tylerkmwilliams.
[1]https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114617.htm
And the forest will echo in laughter..
This is great. Coincidentally enough I have probably listened to this version of the song hundreds of times. So true.
Love Alan Watts and his mind adventures. Thanks for reminding me to enjoy the little things.
Of course! Glad you enjoyed it.