(LOL!) IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

Proverbs 17:22
"A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." (Amplified Bible) 

"A rejoicing heart does good as a cure, Yet a despondent spirit dries up the ribs" (Concordant Literal Version)

"A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." (The Message)

"A joy-filled heart is curative balm, but a broken spirit hurts all the way to the bone." (The Voice)

"LOL"...those of us who communicate through texting use the acronym a lot these days...also "LMBO" (or if you're a little more R-rated, "LMAO" or "LM#AO")...if something's really funny you might even respond with a "ROTFL"...it's unlikely that you're actually rolling on the floor, laughing at a text, but the point in using any of these is to let the other person know that their message was received with the humorous intention in which it was sent...communication is important...it's everything, really, and laughter is something that we all want to share, even if it's through a text or an e-mail...bottom line "LOL", or "laughing out loud" is a good thing, and can even make and keep you healthy...

The above passage from the Scriptures is a famous one...usually we hear it quoted from the KJV, which says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine"... in these other translations we read beautiful phrases like "A rejoicing heart does good as a cure"..."A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing"..."A cheerful disposition is good for your health"..."A joy-filled heart is a curative balm"...good stuff...we've all heard that laughter is the best medicine...not just from the Bible...it's a Universally known fact and scientifically proven theory that emotions that come from humor and laughter help people cope better with the stress of daily life...many medical studies have shown that people who laugh often live longer, and are much healthier compared to those who find it difficult to laugh due to their perceptions of life's circumstances, and/or their personality types...the common reflex of laughter affects the body by activating the cardiovascular system, helps lower blood pressure and even exercises the muscles of the body...the ancients who wrote the Scriptures just knew about the laughter-health connection by Spiritual revelation, but now this truth is confirmed through science...advanced research has also shown that parts of the limbic system (a primitive part of the brain which is involved in emotions and helps us with basic functions necessary for survival) are involved in laughter, as well...

Experts in the medical field have studied various groups of adults and have found that laughter also stimulates the endocrine system and the pituitary gland...this is what activates the release of endorphins (a subject which we have been discussing a lot at METRON, particularly as it pertains to Karma) and enkephalins, which are natural painkillers that are chemical cousins to opiates such as morphine and heroin...wow(!)...doctors have discovered that both sides of the immune system get a boost out of laughter...I've even read about other studies which have shown that laughter improves functioning in those with breast cancer, relationship stress, and also, not surprisingly, those who are in the grieving process...

I just read a really interesting article by Robert Provine about the Science of Laughter from Psychology Today (I tried to link it here but couldn't, but it's easy to find on Google or other search engines)...anyway, this article discusses how the Universally recognized syllables "ha-ha", "he-he" and "ho-ho" have been studied...it's OK to laugh at that...it sounds funny, and it is...and that's a good thing...here's a quote from the article: "Indeed, laughter is a "speaking in tongues" in which we're moved not by religious fervor but by an unconscious response to social and linguistic cues. Stripped of its variation and nuance, laughter is a regular series of short vowel-like syllables usually transcribed as "ha-ha," "ho-ho" or "hee-hee." These syllables are part of the universal human vocabulary, produced and recognized by people of all cultures."...very interesting aspect...the Universality of laughter...

Even more interesting is this confirming quote by Silvia Cardoso, a behavioral biologist, who says "Repeated short, strong contractions of the chest muscles, diaphragm and abdomen increase blood flow into our internal organs, and forced respiration - the ha! ha! - makes sure that this blood is well oxygenated. Muscle tension decreases, and indeed we may temporarily lose control of our limbs, as in the expression "weak with laughter". It may also release brain endorphins, reducing sensitivity to pain and boosting endurance and pleasurable sensations. Some studies suggest that laughter affects the immune system by reducing the production of hormones associated with stress, and that when you laugh the immune system produces more T-cells."...again, wow(!)...in the mouth of two or three witnesses is every word established...

Provine actually wrote a book on the subject, entitled "Laughter: A Scientific Investigation", in which he says "...laughter is the oil in the social machine, helping human interactions run more smoothly"...surveys in this area of study have indicated that laughter can enhance the quality of our conversations, our productivity, and our social interactions...laughing with someone is no doubt an extremely bonding experience...it simply makes people feel closer to each other...we all connect to it, which is part of the reason that it affects our health...

Researchers from the Acoustic Society of America have concluded that the sounds of laughter have a definite emotional impact on listeners...in some of their recent studies it was said that they "support the notion that one important function of laugh acoustics is to influence the emotional responses of listeners"...haven't you noticed that laughter, just like yawning, is totally contagious?...when you hear someone else really laughing, it's a natural response to also start laughing, even if you don't have a clue as to what the other person is laughing at or about...the connection is about the laughter, not the subject matter...this is an amazing phenomenon...when you hold someone's hand for any length of time, your heartbeat and their heartbeat naturally sync up...amazing...women who work together and/or spend a lot of uninterrupted time together start having the exact same menstrual cycle...again, amazing...and, as I said, when you see someone yawning, your instinct is to yawn, as well, even if you're not tired...all of these things demonstrate how connected we all are, and nothing manifests this kind of awareness of Oneness and commonality more than unified laughter...

We've talked so much lately about vibrational energy, particularly the vibrations of thoughts and words, but there's no doubt that genuine laughter has some of the strongest vibrational energy that can be experienced...and it makes you healthy!...in vibratory physics, the principles that make sound into harmonious music are the same principles that govern all associating vibrations throughout the Universe...even the very word "Universe" can be transliterated and defined as "One Verse" or "One Song"...the Universe is One...everything is connected...everyone is connected...vibrations are dynamic things not unlike "living" things, since they are in a mutual state of "harmony"...laughing with other people brings us into harmony with them...in much the same way, laughter brings your body into harmony with itself, as well...this harmony is what fights "dis-ease", the dis-connect that manifests in our bodies as sickness and disease...

This is important information, and is some of the subject matter that we will be discussing in October at METRON Community...

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (English Standard Version)

"A merry heart improves the body and a depressed spirit dries the bones." (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

It is written, "A joyful heart is good medicine"..."A merry heart improves the body"...good, good stuff! I can't wait to dig a little deeper into all of this...it's going to be a very good month!

In the meantime, be happy and be well...

Be well and be happy...

Life is good!

LOL!!!