Gelotherapy

/dʒɛloʊˈθɛrəpi/ noun

Definition

A therapeutic treatment or healing practice based on laughter, humor, or the inducement of laughter for medical benefit.

Etymology

From Greek 'gelos' (laughter) + 'therapeia' (healing, treatment). A modern coinage reflecting 20th-century interest in laughter's health benefits.

Kelly Says

Gelotherapy sounds made-up, but it's actually connected to real science—laughter genuinely releases endorphins and reduces stress! Norman Cousins famously healed himself with funny movies in the 1970s, giving this ancient Greek concept modern validation.

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