Harnessing Humor for Healing: The Psychology Behind Laughter and Cancer Recovery

Hey there, lifter uppers. I'm Deb Krier, the co-host of Cancer and Comedy, where our mission is to heal cancer-impacted people through hope and humor—something we like to call turning the grim into a grin. Well, today on Cancer and Comedy, we're going to be talking about the psychology of humor and healing, the integration of things that influence our mind, which in turn, impacts our body's health. Now, here's the host of Cancer and Comedy, Dr. Brad Miller.

Hey Deb, what an honor and a privilege it is to be with you as always. You always brighten up my day, and I thank you for that. We're here to offer something good to our lifter uppers—our audience here at the Cancer and Comedy podcast. We're all about taking something tough, something bad, like cancer or other hardships, and turning it around. We like to call it the transformation from the grim to a grin—that is, celebrating life and what you have, instead of focusing on what you don't. Part of what we like to do is develop a community of like-minded people who say, "I'm not done living." No matter the situation, we're going to face cancer and other life challenges, and we're going to cope with hope. So, I hope people will get connected to our community by visiting cancerandcomedy.com/follow. Hey Deb, how about a couple of really bad dad jokes today?

Oh, I can't wait! Bring them on.

Why do zebras have stripes?

I don't know.

So they don't get spotted. Here's another one: What do you get when you cross a towel with an earthquake?

I don't know.

A milkshake, of course!

Of course, of course. Oh my gosh! Well, following our conversation, we're going to have one more of Dr. Brad's bad jokes of the day, and of course, our very important Faith It or Break It segment. As mentioned, we would love for you to be part of the Cancer and Comedy community, where together we crush cancer with a message of coping with hope and humor. Please follow Cancer and Comedy at cancerandcomedy.com/follow. So, as we've said, we're going to be talking about the psychology of humor and healing. Dr. Brad, what do you mean by that?

Well, we've talked about psychology. It's the study of the mind, and the mind, body, health, and emotions are all integrated. We talk about that quite a bit here on our podcast, and it's kind of a topic of study for me. So, I've always enjoyed being around and listening to people who are kind of academic-type folks once in a while to see what they're up to. I had the opportunity to listen to a podcast interview and some other information from a professor who teaches a college-level course called The Psychology of Humor. She's even written a textbook about it called The Cognitive Neuroscience of Humor. Her name is Dr. Shelia Kennison, and she teaches at Oklahoma State University.

She got me thinking a little bit, and we're not going to go deep, deep, deep into all the academic minutiae, but it got me thinking about this connection between the actual neurons that fire in our brain and how that's influenced by other factors. She talks about it in her research—the psychology of the brain and how it impacts physiology, which is kind of the physical manifestation of this, and how they all play a part in how our brain changes as other influences come into play. Some of these influences are natural, like aging, while others might be more severe, like brain injuries or diseases like cancer.

There are situations where people have had brain damage or brain disease, and their personalities have changed due to that. Sometimes, it’s the development of disorders. But she studies and talks about how external influences can impact our brain—not just with people but with other factors as well. For example, one of the studies she mentioned involved rats. They tickled the rats, and believe it or not, the study showed a reaction. They indicated that the rats' behavior changed when tickled, and they squeaked in a certain way that resembled laughter. They related that to how people react when they're tickled—not just physically, but when something "tickles their funny bone," so to speak, making them laugh. It also changes their physiological state.

She also discussed the relationship between pets, music, and psychology. I got interested in that because I've seen it happen with people in my own life—how pets and music bring people joy. I think that's something we can talk about here for a minute. For instance, I know something about you, Deb—you love dogs and cats, especially.

Oh, yeah.

So, tell me a little bit about your experience with your dogs or your pets, or anything about how they either brought joy to your life, or if you think something you did, even mutually together, brought joy to them. You know, how there was kind of some humor, or, as they say, how do you make a dog laugh? Things like that. But whatever, just tell me some experiences with dogs.

You know, I think it's one of those things where we know they bring joy into our lives—whatever type of pet it is. And there are so many things that I think factor into that. For one thing, when we're caring for them, it gives us something to focus on, right? You know, we're thinking, "Okay, gotta feed the dog, gotta feed the cat, gotta clean the guinea pig cage," whatever it is. And, you know, we're also getting outside. We're walking the dogs, and we all know the importance of sunshine and fresh air. So, I think it's something that really helps with that.

But I think we all see, you know, when we have a pet that is next to us, just petting them calms us down. One time when I was in the hospital, a friend of mine who has a registered therapy dog brought her Husky to see me. This big old Husky climbed right up in my hospital bed, just hunkered down and stayed there. Obviously, there's a lot of training that goes into things like that, but it made me feel so much better, just having that dog there. And it was so funny because that dog knew that's what its job was. Wow. When she brought the dog into the room, it was like, "Gotta get in the bed. Gotta do what I'm supposed to be doing. Gotta, gotta, gotta do that!" And so, I think it really knew.

I have a friend in Colorado who had a dog that was trained to go out to the airport, to DIA, and she would just walk around with this dog. Now, this was a big old lovable Labrador, right? Everybody would say, "Oh, let's pet the dog," and it definitely helped calm people down. She also took the dog to stressful situations, and there's just something about petting the dog that helps calm people. But as I said, the dogs all knew that was what their job was, and I think that was what was so interesting about it. Once they had gone through that training, that was really what they wanted to do.

I think that's very interesting. And, of course, you mentioned something I think is important: these dogs were trained therapy dogs. Yes. But there are situations where, just like with people, there may be a dog that could agitate things more—like if it's a yipping little dog or whatever the case may be. But a dog can help calm things down. There have been some studies indicating that. Now, do you think, on the other side of things, because you've been around a lot of show dogs as part of what you love to do, do you think dogs enjoy it? Do you think they're having fun?

I do! You know, and I think it's so interesting when we see dogs—cats too, but, you know, cats are like...right—but, yeah, when we have dogs and you're doing something with them that you know they enjoy, they bound around a little bit. They almost seem to smile. Their persona is very much like they're having a good time. Just like when something is wrong, you can pick that up from them as well. But, yeah, my dogs like going to dog shows because all these people pet them and fuss over them, and they just love that. But they also know when they win. They feed off the crowd; they can tell when people are clapping. They really like that. But, yeah, I love it when you can look at them and go, "That dog's smiling! I can tell that dog is smiling."

And that's what I was talking about in the context of that interchange—it's a relationship, right? It's not just a one-way thing, where you're petting the dog and getting good feelings from that. It's a two-way thing, and that's when humor and good emotions come into play to impact our psychology and, therefore, our physiology. It's an exchange of energy, if you will, that happens. I think when a good laugh happens, or even a good cry for that matter, that's an exchange of energy as well. Usually, there has been some stimulus to that—it might be a dog, a piece of music, or something you see on television. Oftentimes, it's something someone says or does, like telling a joke or whatever. Dr. Kennison talks about some of the brain things that happen—the brain waves that actually change, right? There are physiological manifestations of this kind of thing. She does some studies on dementia and other neurodivergent conditions as well.

Oh, yeah, we definitely know that music and dementia have a very direct relationship. You'll see this in care facilities where they bring musicians in or play music, especially music from the residents' youth or earlier years. There's something in that music that sparks recognition. Music really is a big part of dementia programs.

One of the stories that was mentioned in a podcast episode where Dr. Kennison was featured talked about a 99-year-old man in a healthcare facility who was a World War II pilot. He would talk about bubbles from time to time, so they tried to play music related to bubbles. One of the musicians was trying to think of something like Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles," but eventually, they found a song from the 1940s that had something to do with bubbles. This 99-year-old man, who was basically described as "gone" by the people there, perked up, got out of his wheelchair, and started dancing. Everyone had fun with it because the stimulus of music touched him.

Do you have any songs or music like that, which particularly touches you?

I think many of us do have songs that take us back to another time when we hear them, right? Maybe it's the first dance we had with someone or just a song that holds some special meaning. I happen to be a big fan of Garth Brooks, and for some reason, his song The Dance always strikes me. Patriotic songs also get to me—if you want to bring me to tears, play Lee Greenwood or the National Anthem. There's just something about those songs. During the Olympics, it was "snuffle, snuffle" all the time, right? But there's something about hearing that kind of music that just does something to you.

It kind of wakes you up. You know, I like the song Celebration by Kool & the Gang. I used to be a disc jockey back in the '70s, and I remember a lot of the songs I played back then. It’s an upbeat dance song, and sometimes, there are other mood songs too. The idea is that music touches your psyche—it touches your mind. And that impacts your physiology; it makes you get up and move or dance, or at least tap your toe. The point is that our psychology is impacted by that stimulus, which, in turn, impacts our health. It's all interrelated.

Dr. Kennison talks about various studies that show the relationship between humor and our bodies and health. It's significant. Brain studies show that it's not just about getting a vibe or feeling—there is actual scientific data that shows this. People who have a steady dose of humor in their lives—where humor is part of their family vibe or way of life—can show some longevity aspects, quicker recovery from certain things, or even emotional and mental health boosts. I just thought it was interesting, this clarification and confirmation that there are studies related to all of this.

Yeah. You know, I think it is definitely something that we are learning more about, and it's always very positive.

Sure. There’s one more thing that I think is important to apply here. If this connection is true, Deb—between psychology and stimulus, whether it's dad jokes, music, or pets—then we need to be intentional about it. For example, I lost my dog a year ago this week. She was 17 years old, and I miss her. I miss her a lot, but I also remember how she used to snuggle up when I sat by the fire and watched TV at night. I miss that warmth. But, at the same time, it brings back warm memories. What I'm trying to get at is that it's important to keep track of these positive and even humorous memories, and we may need to be intentional about it.

One thing I do is, sometimes, pictures of my dog pop up on my phone, you know, how Apple does that. And when that happens, it brings back warm memories. But there’s an exercise this doctor mentioned that involves writing down at least three funny things on a regular basis—whether daily or weekly—things that happened to you, things you read, or things you saw on TV. Then, you can go back and revisit them.

So it's like a humor journal.

A journal, something like that, or just a place to jot down your notes—even doing it as an audio recording. She talked about how revisiting those memories could jog the mind and fire off neurons that impact our psychology, which then impacts our physiology. I don’t know, what do you think? Is that a good practice? Do you have any thoughts on how we can make humor a more intentional part of our lives? Maybe even treating it as a discipline in some way?

Yeah, I think we definitely need to make sure we have humor in our lives. This is a very serious world. Even if you're not dealing with cancer or some other illness, it's still pretty serious. It always is, really. It's not like there are times that are completely better; there's always a lot going on. So, I think we need to make a point of turning off the negative and turning on the positive. Maybe that means putting down your phone and listening to a beautiful symphony, or instead of looking at Facebook, watching I Love Lucy. Whatever it is, we need to ensure that our brain gets as much—or more—positive, humorous input as it does negative thoughts.

Yeah, I think it's very well—

Or, go walk your dog!

Or, if your neighbor has a dog, go pet it when they're out for a walk. Play some music that brightens your day. Do something like that. Or just take a quiet moment of reflection, focusing on what’s good instead of what’s bad. Because when you’re dealing with cancer or something like that, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the “Oh, poor me” mindset, you know?

You know, it’s funny. I have a little anecdote about my mom. She used to love watching one specific news station on TV. We don’t need to discuss which one—whether it was CNN or Fox—but she would have it on all day long. It was just a constant stream of that news, and she started getting grumpier and grumpier. Everyone noticed it—even she did. So she put herself on a news diet. I love that! She limited her viewing to specific times during the day, and I told her, “Mom, it’s just a repeat. If you catch it two or three times a day, you’ve got pretty much everything.” But not only did she cut back on the news, she deliberately started watching Hallmark movies because they’re always happy and lighthearted. The change in her personality was incredible! Even people who didn’t know her that well noticed how much happier she seemed. I thought it was fascinating—when she stopped focusing on all the gloom and doom and shifted to something more positive, it had an overall impact on her well-being.

What you’re describing is exactly what we’re talking about—the choices we make about the input we allow into our lives. There are certain things we have no control over, like receiving a diagnosis of cancer or other bad news. That throws everything out of control. But we can control the input we expose ourselves to. Most of the news, no matter where you get it, is going to be negative—it just is. But if we start putting in the good stuff, and you and I both believe this, whether it's a song, a dumb joke, or just petting your dog, that puts a smile on your face. And that’s not a bad way to go through life, is it?

Exactly! You put good in, you get good out.

There you go! Put good in, get good out. That’s a great way to wrap things up today. The psychology of humor and healing really does matter, and it’s all connected. We want to be part of the solution—bringing more comedy and positivity, rather than adding to the negative noise.

I love it! I love it. And speaking of putting good out—how about another bad dad joke for the day?