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Humour

Humour is essential for happiness. Without it we lose a sense of proportion, especially about ourselves. Humour is spiritual, psychological and physical in its effects. It is one of the quickest ways to change pain into lightness and sadness into joy.

Hinduism and Buddhism have gods of laughter. In Buddhist tradition the first experience of enlightenment is often associated with an outburst of laughter. In Medieval Europe a virtue often closely associated with caritas (love) was hilaritas (hilarity). Swami Beyondananda said: “Some of us suffer from a debilitating mental disorder called irony deficiency. Seeing a doctor won’t help, but seeing a paradox will.” This statement, besides being humourous and a play on words, directs us to the reality that life is paradoxical. We ourselves are a paradox – an apparent contradiction with our two opposing identities that we try to reconcile.

Laughter that results from humour puts us in the now. We cannot laugh and be worried or fearful at the same time. Nor do we check our watch to see what time it is when we are laughing heartily. Laughter also elevates mood-enhancing chemicals in the body like dopamine along with endorphins that make us feel good. It also decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Psychologist Steve Wilson is Cheerman of the Bored of the World Laughter Tour. He suggests that there are six important steps that lead to healthy laughter:

• Complimenting others
• Being flexible
• Maintaining an attitude of gratitude
• Offering acts of simple kindness
• Forgiving others
• Eating or giving chocolate (and other pleasures)
 

“These simple practices help us be open and joyful, leading the way to laughter,” he says.

Humour can sometimes be used disparagingly and cause harm or hard feelings. It then has a negative effect. Such humour is at someone’s expense in which they are embarrassed or ridiculed. Racial or ethnic jokes are an example. When humour is benign and uplifting it results in better heart health, higher self-esteem and psychological and physical well-being. When we use humour to uplift it creates social or loving bonds. A group of people who laugh together make beneficial connections with one another. Proof of this resulting social bonding is the contagiousness of smiling and laughter.

Humour is a form of play. It is creative in a way that requires one to be flexible and open. It has an expansive quality to it and typically takes one out of self-referencing in an overly serious way. It helps us take ourselves more lightly which is needed for soul connection.

The absence of humour and laughter in relationships is an indication of difficulty in the relationship or a lack of closeness. When humour is present the challenges of a relationship can more easily be dealt with and the underlying love can be strengthened. Humour can lift us out of being stuck in our reactive and debilitating emotional states, allowing space for soul to enter into situations.

 

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This is one of 150 Soul Perspective articles. For more articles visit Soul Perspectives Index.

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