Dr Michael Abrahams delivered ‘humour, laughter and life’ at the Grace, Kennedy Foundation annual lecture as he emphasised the importance of laughter in people’s lives.

Dr Abrahams, a well known gynaecologist and comedian, skewed this year’s lecture at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in St Andrew last Wednesday on an important and comical topic — how healthy humour and laughter are for people. He noted that life would be boring without laughter, which is not solely for the purpose of entertainment, but serves as an important component for our social, mental and physical well-being.

“We know that possessing a sense of humour and the ability to laugh helps us to navigate our way through this complicated and often very cruel world. We know that it helps us cope with stress and allows us to feel very good but human laughter is much, much more significant than that. It actually helps with our survival.”

He explained that even though humour and laughter may be related in the brain, they can function differently. While humour is physiological in nature, laughter is the physical response to mental stimulus and, using diagrams, he illustrated the ability of the brain to create these functions.

He said that among the different elements that cause human laughter, bonding is very significant.

Dr Abrahams highlighted the point that what is considered funny varies based on sex, personal taste, race and intellectual capacity. Age, he said, also determinates what is funny. He recalled that when he was younger he had enjoyed listening to calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow and was fascinated by the song Peace and Love which is about a woman named Bernice

“When ah say a love you love mi, gimme peace. If ah say a love you, I want peace,” went a part of the song.

Dr Abrahams said that when he got older, it was then that he was able to comprehend the true meaning of the song — a different interpretation from what he originally thought.

Laughter, he explained, is often known as a stress reliever because stress contributes to some illnesses. A bit of humour, he said, is necessary in the treatment of certain medical conditions.

“Being pessimistic actually increases the risk of having a heart attack. your attitude has a lot to do with it as well, not just laughing but having a sense of humour, especially being able to laugh at yourself,” Dr Abrahams went on.

He cited different studies that highlighted the significance of humour in people’s lives. One of the studies used was of a research done on patients with Type 2 diabetes. The study involved participants being exposed to a monotonous lecture and then afterwards watching a comedic event. The study showed lower sugar levels in the participants after they watched the comedic event than before when they were viewing the lecture. Therefore, the researcher recommended daily opportunities for laughter as a part of their treatment.

Other medical issues such as increasing fertility, building immunity, and hypertension can also be positively affected by humour, Dr Abrahams said.

He said that one day after sitting down in the stirrups in an examination chair, he started to analyse the vulnerability that may be faced by patients who come in for gynaecological consultations. He decided to take a holistic approach to health and, as such, instituted humour into his medical practice. He added that many persons may face anxiety about having an examination done and so he tried different approaches.

Dr Abrahams said that he often tries to build rapport with patients over the phone before they come in for a visit by giving out jokes, using visual tools, and allowing them to choose music that they are comfortable with.

The GraceKennedy Lecture series marked its 29th year by honouring outgoing chairman of the GraceKennedy Foundation, Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Senior Vice President, Marketing and Operations of GraceKennedy, Noel Greenland.