Such discrepancy and trickery teaches us to seek alternative explanations for events, which is one process of healthy thinking and creative problem solving. Norman Cousins once called this process trainwrecks of the mind meaning that wit causes us to track over to other thinking patterns and perspectives. Alternative thinking processes provided by wit provide perspective, and can reduce negative thinking common during depression, anxiety, and anger. Mirth as an emotional experience Humor changes how we feel emotionally by helping us to experience mirth. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.
Mirth can be a powerful experience for eliminating unhealthy feelings.
As we experience the emotional sensation of mirth, other feelings such as depression, anxiety, and anger are, at least temporarily, eliminated. That is, one cannot experience mirth and at the same time experience such powerful emotions as irritation, resentment, or upset. Laughter as a physiological experience Laughter changes how we feel physically, and it affects our biochemistry. We are all familiar with the feeling of 'lightness' that follows deep belly laughter. Norman Cousins reported that 10-20 minutes of deep belly laughter gave him hours free from the pain of his debilitating disease.