Gelotology is the science of mirthful laughter and its effects on the body from a psychological and physiological perspective. This discipline was first studied by psychiatrists, although some doctors in antiquity recommended laughter as a form of medical treatment. (Source)
Studies have shown that laughter can:
- relax the entire body,
- boost the immune system,
- reduce physical pain and stress levels,
- help the brain regulate levels of dopamine as well as stress hormones: cortisol and epinephrine. (Source)
- increase blood flow throughout the body and improve functions of blood vessels which is good for the heart (Source)
Other great G_ology words:
Ghostology: The scientific study of ghostly phenomena.
Graphopathology: A branch in psychology that studies handwriting as a symptom of mental or emotional disorder. It can also be described as the interpretation of personality disorders from a study of handwriting. (Source)
And this is exactly why I never write by hand. Seriously, my handwriting is so bad, I scare myself. It's typing only for this crazy loon, or Morse code:
-.. . ... -.-. .-. .. -... . / - .... . / ... --- ..- -. -.. / --- ..-. / .- / ..- -. .. -.-. --- .-. -. / ..-. .- .-. -
Also, smoke signals.
Hand over the matches.
I gotta do the grocery list.
Trust me.
Laughter is important. Interesting choice for today El.
ReplyDeleteI miss laughing so hard it hurts. Not sure why that doesn't happen to me anymore.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
There is a science that studies everything, isn't there?
ReplyDeleteOh I like this ology! I love to laugh! My favorite laughter is when I have laughed so hard I have to wipe my eyes and blow my nose cause I've cried. It's the best!
ReplyDeleteDani @ Entertaining Interests
#warriorminion
Graphopathology frightens me, badly. I have beyond horrible handwriting. Doctors ask me to decipher it for them. Really.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for coming by Tales Of the Reborn Crafter Today.
ReplyDeletehttp://talesofthereborncrafter.blogspot.com/
My handwriting is also bad combined with being a bad speller I am a lost cause. Thankful for my Iphone and spell check where I write my grocery list or anything else that I actually want to read ever again.
Try and laugh away each day at my bay, but yoga may make me swear at my lair haha my hand writing sucks too.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Gelotology, but I'm all for it. I'll probably skip the laughter yoga though...I have enough trouble with the regular kind.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Laughter is indeed good medicine.
ReplyDeleteI used to exercise laughter everyday when I did volunteer job in Risaterapia. (I'm graduated as Doctor of Laughter, you know?) Now I'll have to practice Yoga of Laughter or my funny bone will calcify.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!
ReplyDeleteCan't believe week one is already behind us. Great to hear from you all and hope everyone had a great weekend.
Thanks for stopping in!!!!! (:
Maybe we should all smoke weed! Just kidding. You can laugh without it.
ReplyDeleteThis is one -ology branch that I'd be really interested in finding out more about... I love laughter!
ReplyDeleteWriter In Transit
This is my favourite ology so far...nothing beats laughter to lift your spirits!
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer in laughter is the best medicine. Even in bad times I find something to laugh about.
ReplyDeleteOh. So a word to describe your blog! BTW...loved your comment on P.T. Dilloway's Saturday post.
ReplyDeleteGreat word, it's nice to laugh, when you get the giggles it's something else.
ReplyDeleteGood to know laughing is good for you! Your last few lines did give me a chuckle. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to know Morse code. Now I can't even remember the letters let alone understand a sentence sent in it. I used to think I would spend all my life learning things and be very smart by the time I'm old. Now I have to keep learning just to keep up with all the things I forget.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I'm loving all these new words. My handwriting sucks too, though I just blame it on the fact that I'm left handed :D
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday!
It's nice to know that my goofy laughing can come with so many health benefits. Mwaah-ha-ha-ha-haaa!
ReplyDeleteMost of your ologies are cool - this one very much so :) we all need a laff on a Monday...
ReplyDeleteI'd be so frightened of what a Graphopathologist would make of my awful handwriting in respect to my mental order I'd need to go to a Gelotologist to get over it.
ReplyDeleteI do not want to know what my writing means.. probably something about schizophrenia since it changes so much. I love that there is an "ology" of laughter-- i was smiling while reading it!
ReplyDeleteI've seen that laughing therapy stuff recently on Idiot Abroad. Laughing is good, but how can they force it out? I do wonder what someone would think of my handwriting.
ReplyDeleteI almost posted about Gelotology. You covered it much better than I could have. :)
ReplyDelete(Love the line of Morse code.)
So what's the science of studying sciences called? The best laugh I've had was reading through the 'Photoshop Troll' website and reading the comments. Brilliant stuff ;)
ReplyDeleteLaughter the best medicine so says Reader's Digest for many years. AFV can make me laugh every Sunday night.
DeleteKatie atBankerchick Scratchings
Oh my gosh, that video was classic. I laugh a lot when I'm speaking, not because something is funny, but laughs are incorporated about every three of four sentences. It's sort of hilarious. haha
ReplyDeleteI hate to say DUH, but that laughter is healthy for the soul and the body is obvious.
ReplyDeleteI do love a little laughter. I need it. Not much else keeps this old boy sane. And I keep fighting the urge to add new tongue-in-cheek "ologies" in the comments here. Sparking that sort of creativity in me is risky, Elise. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite videos! I can't stop laughing!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Elise,
ReplyDeleteYour wait is over. Yes indeed, shy and humble me is going to grace you with a comment. Would you like a short comment? Or a long comment? Let's see what happens.
Gelotology..ha ha and LOL :) May I share a true story with you? "Oh yes please, Gary!" Okay, I was involved with a festival in Stoke on Trent named "Sanity Fair". At the fair, this one guy was conducting laughter workshops. I thought it be a bit of a laugh and so I joined in. It was very much like your video. Afterwards, I saw the guy who ran the laughter workshop. He was looking sad. I went over and talked to him. He told me he was actually a very sad man and the laughter workshop was his way of trying to work through the pain. Laughter, as the old saying goes, is truly the best medicine.
Thank you for your ongoing and most informative series, Elise.
Gary :)
Laughter was just about the only thing that kept me sane during my junior year of high school, when my family were living with my grandparents and my one bright light in the darkness was watching Laurel and Hardy on AMC (back when the channel actually showed movie classics).
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine life without laughter. It feels so good and releases stress.
ReplyDeleteGelotology is my new favorite word! Thanks. I love to laugh, and this even explains the strange phenomena where I laugh when I am in pain.
ReplyDeleteRhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
Visiting from AtoZ #41
I'm a firm believer in laughter being excellent medicine. On the other hand, I've learned that I use my humor and ability to crack people up both offensively and defensively, 'cause I'm messed up like that. :-)
ReplyDeleteSome Dark Romantic
laughed so hard, tears ran down both legs ;)
ReplyDeleteFabulous! Laughter does wonders for the soul :D
ReplyDeleteYou are knocking it out of the ballpark this month, my friend! Laughter truly is the best medicine.
ReplyDeleteHi Elise .. laughter and a healthy smile are good tonics aren't they .. Mum and I had one hilarious explosion where we both had hysterics we were laughing so much ... all the staff came running in - so concerned a disaster had occurred ... they were just staggered we were laughing so much .... we never did conform .. but thankfully a great deal of the time Mum and I had good laughs ... and later on the big smiles loomed large ...
ReplyDeleteCheers - great gelotology day! - Hilary
This is one I probably should have studied in college! I love to laugh, and make others laugh. Truly does heal the soul. :)
ReplyDeleteI love, love love laughter! I laugh at pretty much everything, when I can even the bad stuff. I hate feeling defeated and when I laugh it's hard to do that :-)
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