... another, humor, laughter, creativity and playfulness exhibit overlap. Proyer’s research has even shown that just reflecting on playful moments can increase happiness and alleviate depression. Research limitations/implications The experiences, perspectives and insight of one person are narrated...

... has been in cultural studies and philosophy, particularly focusing on laughter and humour, during a career spent mostly at Nagoya University in Japan. Design/methodology/approach This case study uses positive autoethnography, a methodology that was co-conceived by Weeks. It includes a 10-question...

... in our efforts to make our world a better place for everyone. Adversity happens. We all need several people with whom we can discuss our agony before moving back to being happier, which includes as much laughter as possible. Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky can be contacted at: fng1res@bolton.ac.uk...

...: an autobiography of Mary Kay Morrison, followed by a ten-question interview. Findings Mary Kay recommends exploration of the benefits of humor and laughter for mental health professionals. In recognition of the need for clarifying terminology, she coined the terms Humergy, which is joyful, optimistic, healthy...

...Madan Kataria; Ros Ben-Moshe; Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky Purpose The purpose of this paper is to meet Dr Madan Kataria, the founder and creator of Laughter Yoga. Design/methodology/approach This case study is presented in two sections: a transcribed autobiography of Madan Kataria, followed...

...Ros Ben-Moshe; Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky Purpose The purpose of this paper is to meet Ros Ben-Moshe, a cancer survivor – or rather thriver – and lecturer in positive psychology at La Trobe University, describes how she uses laughter to boost levity and mental health. Design/methodology/approach...

... Umberto Eco, because of our mutual interest in popular culture and met with him and his colleagues many times during my year there. Here are some photos of me as I have got older (Plate 1). Figure 1 Some of my drawings As a PhD student investigating laughter and humour, I was keen...

...Merv Neal; Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky Purpose The purpose of this paper is to engage with, and elicit insights from, Merv Neal, a laughter professional, on the use of laughter to benefit mental health. Design/methodology/approach This case study is presented in two sections: a biography of Merv...