THE EDITOR, Sir:
I MUST commend The Sunday Gleaner for the Outlook Magazine on Sunday, May 2, World Laughter Day. I found this interesting, as laughter is a human phenomenon that I have a keen interest in and have been researching since 1995 prior to writing my book, Laugh? Yes!
It is true that there is nothing new under the sun. In 1924 J. C. Gregory wrote a book entitled The Nature of Laughter. The literary references made in this book obviously predate this work. In more recent times, Dr. Norman Cousins aroused the curiosity and interest of the world in the therapeutic benefits of laughter, when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and laughter played an important role in his recovery. He shares his experience in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.
As stated in your magazine, laughter clubs exist around the world and the first Laughter club was started in India by Dr. Madan Kataria. Research reveals that of the over 800 laughter clubs in the world over 600 of them are in India. I suspect that the boom in the Indian economy may be connected to the proliferation of laughter clubs in that country. This may not be as far-fetched as it sounds, as people are likely to become more productive when they engage in stress-reducing laughter.
Here in Jamaica, our popular sayings reveal the ambivalence that exists towards laughter in our society. We often say that someone is laughing like an idiot, a fool or a jackass. When we hear our children laughing, we sometimes warn them with the words, "Chicken merry hawk de near!" At the same time, "Wi tek kin teet cova heartbun".
I will end with a quotation from Dr. Cousins. 'Laughter may or may not activate the endorphins or enhance respiration, as some medical researchers contend, what seems clear, however, is that laughter is an antidote to apprehension and panic.'
I am, etc.,
WINNIE
ANDERSON-BROWN
winab@cwjamaica.com
Bagatelle District
Ashley P.A., Clarendon
