Humor, Neuroplasticity, and the Power to Change Your Mind

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A growing body of recent scientific evidence indicates that we have much more control over our minds, personalities, and personal illnesses than was previously known, and it is all occurring as a flood of other research is exposing the many benefits of humor on brain functioning.

The ability to change the structure and functioning of the brain through experiences and the conscious use of directed thoughts is referred to as neuroplasticity. The latest research in the field indicates that the adult brain can repair damaged regions and grow new neurons, and that willful activity has the power to shape the brain in new directions far into adulthood.

The Effects of the Mind on the Mind

We often hear about the effects of illness and old age on the mind, but in the not-too-distant future, we will begin hearing more about the effects of the mind on the mind, and the power of the mind to direct and master its own fate.

The latest discoveries into how the brain responds to positive stimuli, including humor, could open doors to new therapies that may be created for depression, anxiety, and other common mental illnesses. By stimulating and enhancing the humor processing regions in the brains of the depressed or anxious, we could potentially reverse the chemistry of their conditions. Why not use the positive powers of the brain to counter its negative powers?

It is a question that the fields of positive psychology and gelotology are currently exploring. Gelotologists study the physiological and psychological effects of laughter, and practitioners of positive psychology seek to utilize personal strengths and positive emotions to build resiliency and psychological well-being in their clients. Both fields are the source of much research in the use of humor as a coping mechanism.

The Negativity Bias Obstacle

An obstacle to such therapies is the fact that researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that negative information has a greater impact on the brain than positive information. This outcome is so common that researchers have given it a name: the “negativity bias.” The negativity bias is a result of the fight-or-flight response that is activated during negative experiences but not positive ones.

The adrenaline rush and increased heart rate that occur with the fight-or-flight response cause negative events to be experienced more intensely and imprinted on the brain more firmly than are positive events. The challenge for humor-based therapies will be in how to apply the humorous stimuli in such a way that it has a greater influence in shaping the brain than co-occurring negative experiences.

The brain gives preferential attention to negative experiences over positive ones because of the potential danger and threat to survival that negative experiences represent. The brain’s default tendency is to alert itself to potential threats in the environment, so awareness of positive aspects of the environment often requires deliberate effort.

Differing Responses to the Negativity Bias

Of course, we all differ in the degree to which we default to negativity. Some people are perpetually cheerful and upbeat, while others struggle with a complete inability to experience pleasure or see the so-called bright side.

Tal Yarkoni of Washington University in St. Louis, a student of the human brain’s responses to emotions, found that when the depressed look at photos of fearful faces, they experience greater activation in the amygdala (responsible for emotion control) than non-depressed extroverts. When shown smiling faces, however, the reverse effect occurs, and the brains of the extroverts respond with greater activity than those of the depressed.

Although some people have a natural predisposition to be more attuned to the negative, the fact remains that negative events have a greater impact on our brains than positive events. That impact often takes the form of even further vigilance regarding negative information and potential threats in the environment that must be constantly monitored.

This vicious cycle is what leads so many people to spiral down rabbit holes of depression and extreme anxiety. There is a constant negative feedback loop at play that, if not interrupted or countered, can lead to significant psychological distress.

Disrupting Negative Feedback Loops

Since negative experiences are frequently outside our control and unavoidable, one option we have to disrupt the negative feedback loop is to reframe or reinterpret it. Finding ways to reframe negative situations in more positive or humorous terms counters the adverse psychological effects that would otherwise be experienced. Comedians are the masters of this art and have much to teach us in the development of this skill.

Humor Essential Reads

How to Help Your Child Develop a Sense of Humor

How Humor Can Improve Your Life

Future installments of this blog, Humor Rx, will profile comedians who successfully use humor to cope with, and even overcome, psychological ailments such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and many more. Through the use of humor (and the science of neuroplasticity), they prove that the power to change our minds is within each of us.

Copyright Nichole Force