gelotology
thumb|Two girls laughing Gelotology (from the Greek gelos "laughter") is the study of laughter and its effects on the body, from a psychological and physiological perspective. Its proponents often advocate induction of laughter on therapeutic grounds in alternative medicine. The field of study was pioneered by William F. Fry of Stanford University.
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5 sectionsContents
- History
- Types of therapy
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Two girls laughing Gelotology (from the Greek gelos "laughter") is the study of laughter and its effects on the body, from a psychological and physiological perspective. Its proponents often advocate induction of laughter on therapeutic grounds in alternative medicine. The field of study was pioneered by William F. Fry of Stanford University.
==History== Gelotology was first studied by psychiatrists, although some doctors in antiquity recommended laughter as a form of medicine. It was initially deprecated by most other physicians, who doubted that laughter possessed analgesic qualities. One early study that demonstrated the effectiveness of laughter in a clinical setting showed that laughter could help patients with atopic dermatitis respond less to allergens. Other studies have shown that laughter can help alleviate stress and pain, and can assist cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.