Ever noticed that if you see someone laughing, even if you can’t hear what they are saying, you will often find yourself smiling, in some cases laughing as well. If you’ve been wondering if it was just you, relax. It is something that affects everybody. Besides laughter is the best medicine – as the saying goes.
The Journal of Neuroscience published the study last December 12. Among the findings is that people respond more quickly to positive sounds than negative ones. Scientists have discovered that a portion of our brain called the premotor corticol region, which controls the facial muscles, responds to sounds.
We have always known that we tend to automatically mimic the facial expressions of people we talk with. Apparently our brain does the same with laughter. The result: “laugh and the whole world laughs with you” exactly as another old saying goes.
