August 2006
Important Notice:
Members who consult the AATH E-zine know that the editor regularly states that the association of laughter and endorphin release has not been scientifically proven. This may be changing. In a recent study, Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University in Southern California demonstrates endorphin release in a group of subjects who watched a comic video. This study has gone through peer review and has been presented at a major medical meeting, however it has not yet been published nor have these findings been independently repeated by other investigators. Both need to be done before we should fully embrace this finding. However, in light of Dr. Berk’s findings, the E-zine editor will no longer be correcting authors and speakers claiming the association of laughter and endorphins. Still, we advise caution in stating this until Berk's research has been reviewed and published.
The monthly, members-only, e-zine keeps AATH members updated on the latest developments in the world of applied and therapeutic humor. Each link will open a new window for anything outside the AATH website. All web links below have been carefully checked and worked at the time of publication. If the link does not take you to the listed article, please contact the owners of that website about finding that article. Disclaimer: Published by Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. AATH accepts no responsibility for any claims, either expressed or implied, in this publication. The information and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of AATH, its officers, directors, staff, or members. |
Humor Research:Israel21c
Israeli ‘clown therapy’ boosts fertility treatment birthrate
By David Brinn, June 25, 2006
A little levity can go a long way, especially if you're a woman trying to conceive via in-vitro fertilization (IVF). That's the lesson that's been gleaned from a first-of-its kind study conducted in Israel that showed that using humor to alleviate the stress of the patients almost doubles their chances of conceiving from the treatments.
www.israel21c.org
The Modern Language Review, Volume 101, Number 3, 1 July 2006, pp. 671-681(11)
Sick Humour, Healthy Laughter: The Use of Medicine in Rabelais's Jokes
Author: Williams, Alison1
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Finally it is proposed that Rabelais combines hostile laughter and therapeutic laughter in
a sophisticated form of gallows humour, in which the reader is both the
listener to and butt of the joke.
RDH 26.4 (2006): 16-21.
“Mind, Body and Spirit: Laughter as a Medicine.”
By Grant, D.
NewsTarget.com
Maybe Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine, And It’s Prophylactic (Press Release)
July 17, 2006In a paper being presented in an American Physiological Society session at Experimental Biology 2006, Lee S. Berk of Loma Linda University, reports that not only is there real science and psychophysiology, but just the anticipation of the “mirthful laughter” involved in watching your favorite funny movie has some very surprising and significant neuroendocrine/hormone effects.
www.newstarget.com
Humor and Laughter May Influence Health: II. Complementary Therapies and Humor in a Clinical Population
Authors: Bennett, Mary Payne; Lengacher, Cecile
Our results support a connection between sense of humor and self-reported physical health, however, it is difficult to determine the relationship to
any specific disease process.
Source: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 3, Number 2, June 2006, pp. 187-190(4) Publisher: Oxford University Press
Science News Online
Don’t look now, but is that dog laughing?
By Susan Millius,
July 28, 2006, Vol. 160, No 4, p. 55
Amid all the panting, a dog at play makes a distinctive, breathy exhalation that can trigger playfulness in other dogs, says a Nevada researcher. Yes, it might be the dog version of a laugh. www.sciencenews.org
AATH in the NEWS:
Jacksonsun.com
Laugh your way to good health
By Bryant Stamford,
July 3, 2006
Laughter is good medicine. This is a message my friend (E-zine Ed. note: AATH member) Dr. Clifford Kuhn, affectionately known as the "laugh doctor," has been promoting for years.www.jacksonsun.com
Relay For Life: Giant Steps
Cancer survivors, founders of The Cancer Crusade (& AATH members) Kathy & Roger Cawthon were recently featured on the Discovery Health Channel.
June 27, 2006
Says Kathy, “We were thrilled and honored to be included in what we believe was an important message to viewers that a diagnosis of cancer is not the death sentence it once was.”http://health.discovery.com
Loudonville, NY…Paul S. Kleinberger II (AATH member) of Loudonville, New York has been elected President of Clowns of America, International and assumes office on July 1, 2006. Clowns of America International (COAI) is the largest performing arts membership organization of its type in the world. It boasts over 5000 member clowns in 18 countries.
Holisticonline.com
Humor Therapy
I have recently attended a talk and a workshop conducted by (E-zine Ed. note: AATH member) Dr. Paul McGhee, who specializes in humor as a stress remedy. A belly laugh is really good for you. It relieves muscular tension, improves breathing, and regulates the heart beat.
www.holisticonline.com
3M United States
Sharing Humor in Presentations
By Clifford C. Kuhn, MD (E-zine Ed. note: AATH member)
However, experience teaches that sharing humor can be risky. Humor from the podium requires careful preparation and timing. When it fails to evoke amusement it can have an adverse effect, producing tension and discomfort. Most "failed" humor can be avoided if, as the speaker, you are willing to consider a few guidelines.http://international.3m.com
Calgarysun.com
Keepin’ ‘em In Stitches
April 9, 2006
Sparkle (E-zine Ed. note: AATH BOD member, Cheryl Ann Oberg) is one of 35 therapeutic clowns in Canada and is part of a larger network of clowns who believe in the power of laughter as a tool in the healing and medical process.www.calgarysun.com
The Chuckle Channel
Better Living Through Comedy
2006
None of the footage is crude, cruel, divisive or demoralizing in any way. Produced with the hospital patient and staff in mind, all films have a special sensitivity to people facing difficult challenges. The list includes a mixture of stand-up comedians, titles by independent filmmakers, and talks by entertaining speakers. (E-zine Ed. note: AATH members involved in the Chuckle Channel production include: Hob Osterlund, Brad Neider, Susan Sparks, and Ivy Push) www.chucklechannel.com/
OCMetro
Laughing all the way to the bank
By Linda Melone,
July 20, 2006
“A willingness to laugh, plus a sense of lightheartedness, equals a fun and productive workplace,” says (E-Zine Ed. note: AATH member) Ann Fry, author of “Laughing Matters.” “If your employees are happy, they will bring greater energy and enthusiasm to their jobs and your company will function at peak performance. It’s not rocket science.” (E-Zine Ed. note: AATH past president, Steve Sultanoff is quoted in this article) http://ocmetro.com
Leamington Press
Clown ‘docs’ ease daily burden for patients and staff at hospitals
By Deanna Getty, July 26, 2006
According to the Fools for a Cure founder (E-Zine Ed. note: AATH member), Dr. Bernie Warren, a University of Windsor drama professor and registered drama therapist, “it helps lighten their load.” www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com
HUMOR in the NEWS:
Tennessean.com
Wisecracks in religion messages tap healing power of humor
By Ray Waddle,
July 1, 2006
Babb thinks sour-looking churchgoers send a bad message, miss the healing power of hilarity and ignore Proverbs 17:22 ("A cheerful heart is a good medicine").www.tennessean.com
Nationnews.com
Laughter through the pain
By Carol Martindale,
June 30, 2006
Shiloh was referred to the Neurology Clinic on April, 2003, after a short history of having difficulty walking. The report from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital said this: "He is known to suffer with nerofibromatosis and had experienced sudden weakness in the left leg just weeks prior with no history of trauma or injury .... Still Shiloh smiles through it all … He believes laughter is the best therapy for him. www.nationnews.com
The Shreveport Times
Put age-old fear of public speaking in the past
By James Ramage,
July 9, 2006
A persistent heckler interrupted Johnson, who is black, using an abominable racial epithet. But Johnson, the chief executive officer of the YWCA of Northwest Louisiana, used humor to transform the experience and deliver her message. www.shreveporttimes.com
PR Web
Marriage Counseling Expert Says Laughter Can Save Marriage
July 10, 2006
According to Dr. Wasson, a couple that learns to dissipate conflict by laughing has a powerful tool for keeping emotional intimacy in the marriage. This is true because laughter acts as a safety valve in helping to prevent the buildup of resentments in the relationship. www.prweb.com
Holisticonline.com
Patients, doctors and health-care professionals are all finding that laughter may indeed be the best medicine
July 2006
Laughing is found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, increase muscle flexion, and boost immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies.
www.holisticonline.com
Good Humor, Bad Taste.
By Kuipers, Giselinde
A new book
New York, NY: Mouton de Gruyter, 2006.
JS Online – Alternative Medicine
Theater company finds healing in performing arts
By Elaine Schmidt,
July 10, 2006
The project led to the creation of "Sometimes Ya Gotta Laugh," a two-person show Stobbe performs with her actor husband Mondy Carter, and a book by the same title, with the subtitle "caregiving, laughter, stress and Alzheimer's disease." Her parents appear on the book's cover. www.jsonline.com
Globeandmail.com
Hitting the road for timely cancer treatment
By Lisa Priest,
July 10, 2006
"People aren't sitting around and depressed. This place is full of laughter." www.theglobeandmail.com
Mail&Guardian online
Stressed out? That’s a laugh
July 9, 2006
The concept was developed by a doctor in Bombay, who says laughter gets a lot of oxygen into the body, vibrating and relaxing muscles, which strengthens the immune system, helps breathing problems and reduces snoring. www.mg.co.za
St. Petersburg Times Online
When she enters a room, it erupts in laughter
By Andrew Skerritt,
July 14, 2006
No put-downs, no self-depreciating humor in her act. Laughter isn't genuine when it comes at someone's expense - even your own, she believes. www.sptimes.com
Mercatornet.com
The meaning of manliness
By Matthew Rarey,
July 13, 2006
Indeed, manliness and laughter -- specifically, humor -- are complementary virtues when well expressed. (A virtuous man is good; but a virtuous man with a sense of humour is jolly good.) www.mercatornet.com
WWW.azstarnet.com
Laughter as Rx for pain away pain
July 15, 2006
Laughter's the medicine, and a team of local comics is setting out to prove that theory with "Tucson Laughs Away Pain" Monday night at Gaslight Theatre. www.azstarnet.com
JSOnline—Alternative medicine
Theater company finds healing in performing arts
By Elaine Schmidt,
July 10, 2006
Channeling the experience into something creative, with funding from a three-year Helen Bader grant, she went to work. She talked to experts and caregivers, learning about the enormous stress of working with Alzheimer's patients as well as the joy that can also be found in the experience.www.jsonline.com
Psychology Today
Crack Me Up
By Polly Schulman,
July/August 2006
When it's used well, humor helps us to put ourselves in perspective, to see past our fears and sorrows and to reach out to the people we love with a light touch instead of a heavy hand. www.psychologytoday.com
Psychology Today
What’s Your Humor Style?
By Louise Dobson,
July/August 2006
Though humor is essentially social, how you use it says a lot about your sense of self. Those who use self-defeating humor, making fun of themselves for the enjoyment of others, tend to maintain that hostility toward themselves even when alone. Similarly, those who are able to view the world with amused tolerance are often equally forgiving of their own shortcomings.www.psychologytoday.com
Daily Business News
Gotta Laugh Games Present First Master of Laughter Award
July 18, 2006
“There are so many benefits to laughter, including heart health, weight loss, and outlook on life. Gotta Laff Games was founded on the premise that we will only develop games that cause laughter,” said company founder and president Dave Rockenbaugh. “The Masters of Laughter Awards were created to celebrate laughter and those who instigate it through their chosen medium.” http://triangle.dbusinessnews.com
Saugus Advertiser
Have you laughed today?
By Nancy Sherman,
July 20, 2006
Chuckle and you'll reduce your blood pressure while increasing the oxygen in your blood. You'll feel a burst of energy, and an increase in the endorphins in your system, which promote a sense of wellbeing. It boosts your immune system, which increases disease-fighting antibodies and improves pain relief. Overall it reduces stress hormones. (E-zine Ed. note: this article says that children laugh 400 times a day and adults only 25; this has not been proven and is likely incorrect.) www2.townonline.com
Emerson College
American Comedy Archives
Current
The American Comedy Archives was established at Emerson College in 2005 to acquire, preserve and make available primary source material that documents the professional activities of the ground breaking individuals who have written, produced or performed comedy for radio, television, motion pictures or live performance. It is the first academic collection of its kind devoted to exploring the nature of comedy as an American art form and reflects the College's view that examining the history, sociology, and culture of comedy represents an important and underrepresented field of study. www.emerson.edu/comedy/
Catholic Online
Go Ahead and Laugh—Ice Cream a Cure for Cancer
July 21, 2006
Therapeutic laughter programs have been shown to increase feelings of well-being and improve a person’s ability to cope with disease and stress. Laughter lowers blood pressure, decreases stress hormones, increases infection-fighting antibodies, improves brain function, and eases muscle tension. Baskin Robbins ice cream, complete with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a sweet maraschino cherry elicits smiles, promotes good cheer and just plain tastes good. www.catholic.org
New Nation Online Edition--Lifestyle
Smile more live more
By Zahid A Khan,
July 23, 2006
Laughter activates the chemistry of the will to live and increases our capacity to fight disease. Laughing relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis, and ulcers. Some research suggests that laughter may also reduce the risk of heart disease. http://nation.ittefaq.com
The Benton County Daily Record
It’s soooo Hot!
By Bob Haynes,
July 24, 2006
Just when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore, a special friend sent me an e-mail that tickled my fancy and made me realize that even in the worst of times, if we can find humor, it helps us weather even the “ weather.” http://nwanews.com
Globeandmail.com--Business
Laughter (at yourself) is the best medicine
By John Gray,
July 21, 2006
Such is the power of self-deprecating humour: In a few words it can lighten and uplift, alleviate and loosen. www.theglobeandmail.com
The World of HUMOR
HUMOR IN THE NEWS: RELATED ARTICLE
International Herald Tribune
A monk’s meditation on the pursuit of happiness
By Kyle Jarrard,
June 30, 2006
"Happiness" is not the latest self- help volume. Ricard brings a scientist's touch and rigor to a vast subject. He defines the matter at the outset: "By happiness I mean here a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind. This is not a mere pleasurable feeling, a fleeting emotion, or a mood, but an optimal state of being." And the good news is that this state of being is something that can be learned - it is a skill. www.iht.com
Chron.com
The search for meaning
June 30, 2006
I think happiness as an idea is a kind of inflated fantasy because it is a transient state which is both elusive and ephemeral. In the search for that state we project it onto our relationships, onto objects, onto roles, onto status, and often because of the expectation it proves unsatisfying and frankly delusory in the end. www.chron.com
PxPG News
Epicurus: Job satisfaction is the most critical for life satisfaction
By Dr. Venkat Yelamanchili
July 4, 2006
Job satisfaction is the most critical factor for life satisfaction and well-being, according to new research by a team of economists at the University of Aberdeen.www.rxpgnews.com
Washingtonpost.com
Science Confirms: You Really Can’t Buy Happiness
By Shankar Vedantam,
July 3, 2006
A wealth of data in recent decades has shown that once personal wealth exceeds about $12,000 a year, more money produces virtually no increase in life satisfaction. From 1958 to 1987, for example, income in Japan grew fivefold, but researchers could find no corresponding increase in happiness. www.washingtonpost.com
New America Media
Are We Getting Happy Yet?
By Rene P. Ciria-Cruz,
July 6, 2006
Can money buy you happiness? Now a Los Angeles Times article says that after rigorous calculations, some economists have concluded that increasing the frequency of sex from once a month to once a week brings just as much happiness as getting an extra $50,000 a year. http://news.ncmonline.com
Timesonline
Negative path to happiness,
July 8, 2006
Dr Julie Norem is on a crusade against relentless positivity. She cautions that promoting optimism encourages people to believe that they can eradicate anxiety and negative thoughts. “Unless you’re a psychopath, that’s not going to happen,” she says. www.timesonline.co.uk
Times of Oman
British children to get happiness lessons
July 9, 2006
Some 2,000 pupils at English state schools are to have special classes in happiness under a pilot scheme aimed at cutting depression, self-harm and anti-social behaviour, according to the Independent on Sunday newspaper. www.timesofoman.com
Life Style Extra
A Dog Brings More Happiness Than A Partner
July 10, 2006
Dog ownership beats off other feelgood factors including the weather, job satisfaction and even being in a steady relationship. www.lse.co.uk
Mail&Guardian online
The happiness factor
By John Sutherland,
July 13, 2006
But how do you measure happiness? “Social scientists’ investigation of happiness is based on a very simple subjective questionnaire. You just ask people to assess how happy or how satisfied they are with their lives as a whole. www.mg.co.za
The Hamilton Spectator
The elusive pursuit of happiness
The Economist,
July 15, 2006
The founding fathers were the first politicians to produce the explosive combination of individual rights and the pursuit of happiness. It remains equally remarkable today, still the best statement, 230 years after it was written, of what makes America American. www.hamiltonspectator.com
The Capital--Lifestyle
Achieving Happiness: What it takes to make a difference
By Dr. Tom Muha
July 16, 2006
A fundamental lesson for living a happy life is to counterbalance stress by replenishing your energy. To sustain positive performance, you must learn how to routinely restore your capacity to act by recharging all four dimensions of your being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. www.hometownannapolis.com
Le Monde diplomatique
The politics of happiness
By David Wearing,
July 2006
The sharp difference between public policy (and the interests it serves) and the assessment of human nature made by those employed to understand it shows that a new social and economic and political settlement, in which public policy reflects the interests of the public, is still a realisable goal. And it is feared by those in power. http://mondediplo.com
The Spectrum, St. George
Inequality in job satisfaction
By Joe Baker,
July 17, 2006
There is a body of economic research using measures of job satisfaction as indicators of this utility. This research has yielded interesting results. For example, as the level of pay increases, worker satisfaction declines. Yes, higher paid workers are miserable! One explanation for this is that workers will stay in jobs they do not like if the pay is high; higher pay works as a "compensating differential" for distasteful job attributes. www.thespectrum.com
HindustanTimes.com
Happiness is all in the mind: MRI doctor
July 18, 2006
Through these experiences, he has found that people who keep an open mind are better equipped to deal with problems because they maintain higher levels of happiness in the face of turmoil.www.hindustantimes.com
The China Post
Happiness is closely tied to money
By Annie Hung,
July 20, 2006
Happiness is closely related to money, according to the survey, as 72 percent of the respondents agree that money can increase happiness. www.chinapost.com.tw
The Financial Express
Happiness that money cannot buy
By Shamsul Huq Zahid,
July 24, 2006
The Happy Planet Index, an innovative new index from London-based New Economics Foundation (NEF) has ranked Bangladesh 41st among 178 countries. The UK is disappointing 104th and the USA 150th on the index which is based on three indicators: life satisfaction, life expectancy and use of environmental goods and services. www.financialexpress-bd.com
First All American Laughter Yoga Conference
Global Movement For Health, Joy, & World Peace
Oceanside, California
September 8-10, 2006
Note: This conference is not a Laughter Leader Certification
www.laughteryoga.org
6th International Summer School on Humor and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications
Department of Psychology,1700 Fribourg,Suisse
July 10, 2006
For new research students just beginning their research careers or those already-trained researchers considering a first research project on humor, this course will ensure that they enter the field with a strong foundation in existing theoretical and methodological issues - in dimensions ranging from the philosophical, to the physiological, to the practical - , and are well versed in the pitfalls confronting the scientific study of humor. www2.unifr.ch:82
If you see something you would like to share in our E-Zine, send the lead to
Bob Nozik, E-zine Editor ezine@aath.org
