Laughter could be a therapy
A German researcher believes that laughter could be used as a therapy much more than it is currently used.
“I don’t think the potential has been exhausted, even if laughter is not prescribed to us like a medicine,” said psychologist Jeni Rösner of Jena University Hospital to the German news agency DPA, on the occasion of World Laughter Day . “Some specialized offers can be useful for stress prevention or for lonely people,” she added, stressing that what is called “medical clowns” has also arrived in hospitals.
Rösner stressed that laughter not only has a positive effect on mood, but also benefits the cardiovascular system and the immune system. Studies have shown that not only laughter triggered by a joke or other cause has a positive effect, but that simulated laughter – such as in laughter yoga – also has measurable effects.