Why Laughter is the Best Memory Medicine

We've all heard the axiom that laughter is the best medicine...and I have experienced this myself many times in my life, especially while recovering from my open-heart surgery. A friend introduced me to a series of dvds she had that included Christian comediennes Patsy Clairmont and Jeanne Robertson. I spent hours watching, holding my heart pillow to my chest, and laughing. It was healing for me.

A recent study indicates that laughter can boost your memory and also help your overall demeanor. Magnetic resonance shows that when you laugh, your brain lights up just as it would when exercised by a brain-teaser. Exercise is good for your brain and can instantly improve your mood, mask pain, and even make for better relationships.

Many consider humor and laughter a silly diversion, but in fact the neuropsychological benefits are astounding. When you hear the end of a joke or struggle to get a punchline in an anecdote, your brain gets a huge workout.

When you laugh, a chemical reaction takes place in your brain which helps your entire makeup. Here are a few benefits of laughter:

• Boosts immunity – Your immune system can greatly benefit from laughter, which can be suppressed from stress and pain.
• Reduces stress and pain – The chemical reaction from laughter is directly connected to the nucleus accumbens in the brain. This area of the brain releases dopamine which is a natural opiate.
• Bonding with others – Developing relationships is an important part of keeping a healthy brain. Laughter can repel anger and promotes reconciliation and is said to be one of the most desired traits in a life partner.

Studies performed with groups watching a funny movie indicated more improvement in memory recall, cognitive functions, and ability to learn compared with other groups who didn’t watch the movie.

Diabetics, especially, benefited from laughter because it cuts down on the harmful hormone of cortisol and boosted memory scores. Cortisol may also decrease the hippocampal neurons which make up the memory portion of the brain and increases the flow of blood and boosts your mood.

The increase of dopamine and endorphins in the brain when you laugh can provide pleasure and sense of accomplishment. Laughter also promotes neurochemical brain changes which increase the memory enhancement – gamma wave band frequency.

Try and add some elements of laughter to your life each day and use humor to deflect negative thoughts from entering your mind. Before you settle down to sleep at night, watch a funny show or read a funny book to get your evening of rest off to a good start.

At one time, I started my class off each day with a joke, riddle, or conundrum. It is a great brain exercise and can be a great ice breaker.

Recent studies have been so positive in the use of laughter to improve memory and overall health of the elderly that humor may be incorporated in wellness programs designed for senior citizens.

All of your worries may not simply melt away with adding more laughter in your life, but try it for a while. It’s definitely true that “laughter may improve memory and quality of life.”

If you have a joke, riddle, or