1. Brain and Laughter Take One— Presents  Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org Brain References thebrain@arlenetaylor.org

2. Brain Benders  Arlene Taylor PhD Realizations Inc LOOK COUEMNT LE VE EL NEVER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ___________ _________ GNITTIS WORLD DANCEDANCEDANCECLO UDS

4. My Goals  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc  Research from the field of Gelotology – the study of the effect of laughter on the brain and immune system  Takes a whole brain to appreciate humor and laugh—with myriad benefits  Encourage you to identify what your brain finds humorous and to choose to laugh

5. Humor – a Mental Faculty  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Located in right frontal lobe Typically learned in your family-of-origin Very subjective May be appreciated with or without laughter – can be used to trigger laughter (which provides most of the benefits)

6. Laughter – a Sound  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Comes from Broca’s area in the left frontal lobe Mirthful laughter provides many benefits to brain and immune system Can be triggered by a sense of humor, laughter of others, surprise, fright, emotion, personal choice … Always laugh when you can; it is cheap medicine.  Lord Byron

7. Left Hemisphere  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Is quite literal in its interpretations of humor (e.g., a joke—rarely gets it) Is especially drawn to wordplay (e.g., the bigger the summer vacation, the harder the fall) Creates the sense of amusement – so is quite happy to laugh at more or less anything when prompted to do so

8. Right Hemisphere  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc More alert to subtleties and nuances Quickly grasps the meaning by pulling together threads of a joke, including context, assumptions, knowledge of personal bias / prejudice It gets the joke by registering the dislocation in logic that is a hallmark of most formal humor (expectations)

9. ½ Plus ½ = a Whole Brain  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc A girl goes on a blind date with Siamese twins. Next day her mother asks, “Did you have a good time, honey?” The girl replies, “Ah–h-h, yes and no...” ‘That’s funny’ results from a mismatch between what your brain expected and what actually happened plus laughter

10. I Find Oxymorons Humorous  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc  Sweet sorrow  Come yonder  Jumbo shrimp  Extinct life  Good Grief  Resident Alien  Soft rock  Taped live  Exact estimate  Original copy  Head butt  Same difference  A definite maybe  Synthetic natural gas

11. I Love Limericks  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Both genders may like limericks, but the topic can make a difference in whether or not they think they are really funny Males: tend to enjoy orectic limericks There once was a man named Hyde... Females: enjoy cognitive and clever limericks (word play) There once was a man named Hall...

12. Limericks, Cont’d  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc A tutor who tooted the flute, Tried to tutor two tooters to toot, Said the two to the tutor, "Is it tougher to toot Or to tutor two tooters to toot?” There was a young lady named Harris Whom nothing could ever embarrass. 'Til the salts that she shook In the bath that she took, Turned out to be Plaster of Paris

13. 1 - Is Good Medicine  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Triggers the release of endorphins, the brain and body’s natural morphine:  Increases activity of natural killer cells that are part of the immune system – help fight diseases caused by viruses from colds to cancer  Decreases aches and pains and increases your tolerance to pain

14. Excuses to School Nurse Please excuse Burma, she has been sick and is still under the doctor Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33 Please excuse Dianna from being absent yesterday - she was in bed with gramps again Maryann was absent with fever. The flu must be going around - her father even got hot last night

15. Excuses to School Nurse Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football and was hurt in the growing part Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday - he had a cold and could not breed well My son is under a doctor's care and should not take fizz-ed today - please execute him Please excuse Annie for falling off her bike and staying home yesterday. It wasn’t her fault - it was the asphalt

16. 2 – Helps Manage Stress  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Decreases cortisol levels and liberates interleukin-2 (Immune messengers) Relieves psychological stress and muscle tension, keeps the brain alert, improves creativity and problem-solving Enhances learning, promotes retention of information, stimulates and reconnects the cerebral hemispheres that have been disconnected by stressors

17. Chart Bloopers The EMT injured his ankle in the ED while helping me seduce an agitated patient Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared The patient is tearful and crying constantly - she also appears to be depressed

18. Chart Bloopers Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch Between you and me we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant If he squeezes the back of his neck for four or five years it comes and goes

19. 3 – Speeds Metabolism  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc A vigorous laugh burns as many calories per hour as brisk walking or cycling and shakes up major body organs, providing a form of “internal jogging” 20 seconds of belly laughter can double heart rate for 3-5 min and gives the heart the same workout as 3 min of hard rowing 10-15 min of laughter a day can burn up to 50 calories (e.g., amount in medium chocolate bar) = to 4.4 pounds a year

20. By the time he was admitted his rapid heart had stopped and he was feeling much better Chart Bloopers While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated, and sent home Patient says that she was throttled yesterday by her son-in-law -- a real practical choker Vaginal pack out surgeon in Physician at bedside repeatedly attempting to urinate without much success

21. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall Chart Bloopers She and her twin sister live together in a tiny condom that was purchased by their father Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid Patient slipped and fell, accidentally castrating himself -- a eunuch experience Patient received to unit in bed with anesthesiologist

22. 4 – Benefits C-V Systems  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Increases rate and depth of breathing, helps oxygenate cells and clear mucus from the lungs Can increase circulation of the blood, temporarily lower blood pressure, and decrease your risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke

23. I've suspected that my husband has been fooling around, and when confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again. Do you think he’s telling the truth? Questions that Dear Abby Could Not Answer I was married to Bill for three months and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober. What should I do now?

24. You told some woman whose husband had lost all interest in sex to send him to a doctor. Well, my husband lost all interest in sex and he is a doctor. Now what do I do? Dear Abby, Cont’d My mother is mean and short tempered. Do you think she could be going through mental pause?

25. 5 – Enhances Work Success  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Employees who laugh together ‘stay together,’ work better as a team, are more creative, and produce more work Outstanding leaders use humor often to reduce stress, enhance brain function, and positively impact their communication Business woman who can interact easily with male humor are a step ahead of women who don’t

26. Bulletin Bloopers Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday Today’s Sermon: “How much can a man drink?” with hymns from a full choir Bean supper next Tuesday at 6pm - music to follow

27. Bulletin Bloopers John Robertson was at death’s door and the pastor pulled him through For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs Ceremony will take place on the church barking lot Maintenance of the church graveyard is becoming increasingly costly – we request parishioners to tend their own graves

28. 6 – More Benefits  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Can enhance digestion – releases enzymes that protect against stomach ulcers and act as natural laxatives Increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin – helps to moderate depression Can boost production of human growth hormone (anti-aging)

29. Don't let worry kill you - let this Church help Thank you to our Head Deacon and Dead Deaconess for preparing this month’s Communion Today’s sermon outline: Delineate your fear, Disown your fear, Displace your rear If you choose to heave during the Postlude, please do so quietly Bulletin Bloopers

30. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet next Thursday at 7 pm - please enter by the back door The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict Place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered Last Sunday the Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

31. 7 - Misc Benefits  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Can heal on an emotional level and help create a sense of closeness – it is difficult to hold onto anger or hurt while engaged in mirthful laughter Promotes more comfortable sleep – Dr. Norman Cousins reported that 10 minutes of belly laughter gave him two hours of pain-free sleep, when morphine had failed to do so

32. Laugh! By Choice!  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Recall a time when you doubled over with laughter; laugh at the memory, and similar brain chemicals will be released again -- fake it ‘till you make it It requires 15 facial muscles contracting in a specific pattern to laugh – it takes 26 muscles to frown (avoid the extra work!)

33. How Much Is Enough?  Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc Adults need a minimum of 30 laughs per day – adults in the USA average only 15-20  Very happy people average between 100 and 400 laughs per day What is YOUR daily average of laughs?

34. The End