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Explore the health benefits of laughter and how contagious it can be

laughter

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June 30, 2026

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Explore the health benefits of laughter and how contagious it can be — Explore the health benefits of laughter and how contagious it can be Learn about the health benefits of laughter and how it can be contagious.

Laughter is an explosive sound that signals amusement. It can be triggered by comic situations, symbols, or catchphrases that tap into our memories and expectations. The underlying mechanism often involves a "bisociation" where an idea connects with two incompatible contexts, causing a sudden shift in thought. This abrupt change releases accumulated emotion, which is then discharged as laughter.12

Historically, theories of humor have linked laughter to aggression, superiority, or the release of tension. For instance, some believe laughter arises from a sudden sense of glory by comparing oneself to the infirmity of others. While the specific triggers for laughter are diverse, ranging from simple jokes to complex social cues, the common thread is the release of pent-up emotions or tensions.32

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humor
…that tends to elicit the laughter reflex. Spontaneous laughter is a motor reflex produced by the coordinated contraction of 15 facial muscles in a stereotyped pattern and accompanied by altered breathing. Electrical stimulation of the main lifting muscle of the upper lip, the zygomatic major, with currents of varying intensity…
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…that tends to elicit the laughter reflex. Spontaneous laughter is a motor reflex produced by the coordinated contraction of 15 facial muscles in a stereotyped pattern and accompanied by altered breathing. Electrical stimulation of the main lifting muscle of the upper lip, the zygomatic major, with currents of varying intensity…
Read More

aesthetics
The value of art
The analogy with laughter—which, in some views, is itself a species of aesthetic interest—introduces a concept without which there can be no serious discussion of the value of art: the concept of taste. If I am amused, it is for a reason, and this reason lies in the…
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The analogy with laughter—which, in some views, is itself a species of aesthetic interest—introduces a concept without which there can be no serious discussion of the value of art: the concept of taste. If I am amused, it is for a reason, and this reason lies in the…
Read More

comedy
…of the corrective purpose of laughter; specifically, he felt, laughter is intended to bring the comic character back into conformity with his society, whose logic and conventions he abandons when “he slackens in the attention that is due to life.”
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…of the corrective purpose of laughter; specifically, he felt, laughter is intended to bring the comic character back into conformity with his society, whose logic and conventions he abandons when “he slackens in the attention that is due to life.”
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communication
Laughter
Although most vocal sounds other than words are usually considered prelinguistic language, the phenomenon of laughter as a form of communication is in a category by itself, with its closest relative being its apparent opposite, crying. Twentieth-century ethnologists, like Konrad Lorenz, attempted to associate…
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Although most vocal sounds other than words are usually considered prelinguistic language, the phenomenon of laughter as a form of communication is in a category by itself, with its closest relative being its apparent opposite, crying. Twentieth-century ethnologists, like Konrad Lorenz, attempted to associate…
Read More

speech
Intensity
The inborn automatic reflexes of laughing and yawning illustrate the resonator action of the vocal organ. Together with a widely opened mouth, flat tongue, elevated palate, and maximally widened pharynx, the larynx assumes a lowered position with maximally elevated epiglottis. This configuration is ideal for the unimpeded radiation of the…
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The inborn automatic reflexes of laughing and yawning illustrate the resonator action of the vocal organ. Together with a widely opened mouth, flat tongue, elevated palate, and maximally widened pharynx, the larynx assumes a lowered position with maximally elevated epiglottis. This configuration is ideal for the unimpeded radiation of the…
Read More