Can I Make Myself Laugh?

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Laughing is partly psychological and partly physiological. It’s possible to make ourselves laugh simply by thinking of something humorous.

A common source of laughter is as a reflex reaction to tickling. The tickle response is involuntary. A great deal of effort is required to control it. But why can’t we induce laughter by tickling ourselves? Nerve endings which are just below the skin’s surface are sensitive to touch. They’re especially concentrated on the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet. But they can’t be self stimulated.

The laughter from tickling requires an aspect of anxiety. If we try to tickle ourselves we know that we’re in complete control and that we can stop the stimulation at any moment. Tickling ourselves, therefore, eliminates the anxiety which is an essential component.

The tickle response is ambivalent. The first response to tickling is usually pleasure. But if the delight is mingled with too much fear and anxiety, the laughter stops. We don’t laugh if we are tickled so aggressively that we sense some real danger. So there is actually little risk of being tickled to death.

There’s a fine line between pain and pleasure; between what makes us laugh or cry. But whatever the cause, laughter is very good medicine. It sets off beneficial chemical reactions in the brain and the body.

So next time you laugh, remember that like an apple a day, it may keep the doctor away.