Between Fun and Pathology: What Can Laughter Reveal About Us?
It’s well known that laughter strengthens social bonds, eases potential conflicts, and reduces stress and anxiety. But is laughter always a sign of health and happiness? Lynn A. Barker, a lecturer in cognitive neurobiology at Sheffield Hallam University, explains the biological mechanisms behind laughter, why “laughing with” rather than “laughing at” brings us more joy, and when laughter stops being a positive social tool and starts signaling a pathology.
The Many Faces of Laughter
When you hear someone laughing behind your back, you probably imagine a person chatting on the phone or with a friend, smiling and feeling warm emotions. Even just the sound of laughter can make you smile or laugh in response. But imagine someone laughing while walking alone down the street or sitting next to you at a funeral. Suddenly, laughter doesn’t seem so appealing.
The truth is, laughter isn’t always positive or healthy. Scientific research shows it can range from genuine and spontaneous to artificially induced (like by tickling) and even pathological. The biological foundations of laughter are still not fully understood—what we do know comes mostly from clinical case studies.
Laughter and Social Connection
Laughter and the perception of humor are essential components of adaptive social, emotional, and cognitive functions. Surprisingly, humans aren’t the only ones who laugh—primates enjoy a good chuckle too. This may have helped them survive, as laughter is a shared activity that strengthens social ties, eases conflicts, and lowers stress and anxiety. But its meaning is lost the moment a person is alone. There’s something unsettling about laughing in solitude.
Laughter can instantly override other emotions—we can’t stay angry or furious while laughing. This happens because our facial muscles and throat are overtaken by more pleasant emotions, all controlled by specific neural pathways and chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Laughter is triggered by several neural pathways, each responsible for a different component of laughter. For example, the brain area involved in decision-making and behavioral control must be suppressed for laughter to be spontaneous and uninhibited. Laughter also relies on connections between regions responsible for experiencing and expressing emotions.
What Illnesses Teach Us About Laughter
We know a lot about the key brain areas that regulate facial expressions, swallowing, and tongue and throat movements, but how positive emotions turn into laughter remains a mystery. Fortunately, the history of certain illnesses sheds light on the brain functions behind laughter.
One well-known syndrome, first described by Charles Darwin, involves the troubling expression of uncontrollable emotions. Clinically, it appears as frequent, involuntary, and uncontrollable outbursts of laughter and crying. This distressing disorder of emotional expression, which contradicts a person’s actual feelings, is known as pseudobulbar affect and can manifest neurologically in different ways.
The cause of this disorder is a lack of connection between the brain areas that control emotional impulses and their facial expressions. Conditions associated with this include brain injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Research has shown that excessive humor and laughter at inappropriate times can be early signs of dementia. Pseudobulbar affect is one of the most common emotional side effects of stroke. Given the high number of stroke cases, this condition is likely to be widespread in the general population.
There are also other specific conditions partially linked to brain dysfunction. Gelotophobia is an intense fear of being laughed at. Gelotophilia, on the other hand, is the enjoyment of being laughed at. A related condition, katagelasticism, is the pleasure of laughing at others.
Gelotophobia can develop into severe, joy-draining anxiety and even major depression. It can cause constant monitoring of one’s surroundings for signs of ridicule. This abnormal fear of being laughed at often stems from negative childhood experiences, such as bullying or mockery. Research indicates that gelotophobia is linked to weak communication between the frontal and temporal brain regions—areas responsible for monitoring and processing emotional stimuli.
The frontal areas of the brain also allow us to interpret the literal meaning of words in a social and emotional context. This gives us the ability to recognize subtle humor, like sarcasm. Interestingly, this ability often disappears after damage to the frontal lobe or in conditions involving dysfunction in this area, such as autism.
Healthy Laughter
Despite the dark side of laughter, it usually brings warm feelings. We know that laughter has positive effects on the cardiovascular and endocrine systems and boosts immunity.
We also know that positive, “benevolent humor”—“laughing with” rather than “laughing at”—is especially beneficial. The way our brain processes other people’s laughter shows that laughing together has greater emotional depth and is more enjoyable than laughing at someone.
In fact, our brains are especially influenced by emotional rewards and signals of “genuine joy.” This may explain the high effectiveness of laughter therapy. Laughter therapy involves working the muscles, improving breathing, reducing stress and anxiety, and boosting mood and emotional resilience. Its effects are comparable to those of antidepressants, as it increases serotonin levels—a key neurotransmitter needed for feelings of well-being and calm.
So, no matter what makes you laugh, as long as it’s not a sign of illness, laughter truly is the best medicine.