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Therapist Says Laughter Liberates
By DAVID B. CARUSO
.c The Associated Press
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - With the nation unnerved by terrorist attacks, it's a tough time to be in the laughter business.
But Steve Wilson is undeterred.
The 60-year-old laughter-therapy teacher is convinced you can chuckle your way to a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure and better mental health. He even believes that laughter may be the key to world peace.
``Laughter in the face of tragedy can be tough, but it can be liberating,'' said Wilson, a retired clinical psychologist. ``Humor and laughter represent hope. They represent relief. And ultimately, they are going to represent victory.''
About 21 people signed up for Wilson's two-day ``World Laughter Tour'' seminar at Lehigh University, where attendees paid up to $250 apiece to learn the finer points of Hasya Yoga, a kind of laughter aerobics. Training also included lectures on the types of healthy laughter and what might aid people in pain.
Saturday's sessions at Lehigh were typical: Facing each other and moving around the room, participants laughed vigorously in spurts for about 20 minutes, switching often between different types of laughter - from low chuckles to jubilant guffaws.
Attendees included nurses, teachers and physical therapists.
``So far I'm impressed. This has been a lot of fun,'' said Thekla Scott, a coordinator for the older Americans' advocacy organization AARP.
At the end of the two-day session, participants are able to form and lead their own laughter clubs - something Wilson has been doing since 1997.
Laughter clubs got their start in India. In the mid-1990s, Bombay physician Madan Kataria became convinced that regular, vigorous laughter can lead to better health. He urged sick patients to laugh for at least 10 minutes every day. Hundreds of laughter clubs meet daily now in India for boisterous group sessions following Kataria's guidelines.
The practice has developed a foothold in Europe and the United States, with clubs in several states, including Wilson's hometown, Columbus, Ohio.
With the national mood shaken by terrorism, Saturday's crowd was slightly smaller than usual, Wilson said. Classes usually involve about 30 participants, and Wilson holds six sessions a year in addition to visiting existing clubs.
Followers claim the sessions leave them feeling energized, calm, more optimistic and better connected.
``People want a break,'' Wilson said. ``It is not psychologically economical to constantly dwell on a problem all the time.''
But scientists disagree on the extent of laughter's benefits.
Dr. Rod Martin, a psychology professor at the University of Western Ontario who has studied laughter research, said few significant scientific studies have linked good humor to better overall health.
``I'm skeptical of the whole thing, to be honest,'' Martin said. ``I'm all for laughter ... but there isn't a whole lot of scientific evidence to justify the claims they are making.''
Wilson said laughter therapy isn't for everyone.
His Web site warns that women with complicated pregnancies should avoid rigorous laughter sessions, as should people recovering from surgery.
On the Net:
Laughter clubs information, http://www.worldlaughtertour.com
International Society for Humor Studies, http://www.uniduesseldorf.de/WWW/MathNat/Ruch/humor.html
AP-NY-10-13-01 1501EDT
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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