Humor - An Essential Element

Humorelement

HUMOR – AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF LIFE  - Smiling, laughing, and that sensation of release that comes with it; who can doubt that humor is a very important part of living a happier life? For me it’s rare when I find humor in traditional media. Sitcoms long ago ceased to actually be funny. Occasionally I run across a movie that makes me laugh but it’s rare and a passive experience. Real active humor is participatory and not passive. I have always been a bit of a joker but after finding Second Life (a virtual world) in which to explore and have fun I find myself experiencing humor more often and in more ways.  In short, I can be as goofy or as serious as I choose without the traditional boundaries imposed in society and by my real life personal environment.  Often I find myself chuckling or laughing wholeheartedly at the funny and impossible humorous situations I find myself in or create on my own and with others in Second Life. Those frequent moments do something special for me and for others as well.

Laughter Activates the Immune System

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. Here is a little of what they have found.

• In Berk's study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state -- a state that produces healthy or positive emotions.
• Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system, including:  An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells.
•  An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to "turn it up a notch."
•  An increase in the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections.
•  An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to "turn on."
•  An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day.