Fr Jim Cogley
Some psychologists have tried to explore the meaning behind humour but there are far less who have even considered using it as a therapeutic tool. One notable exception is Dr Albert Ellis founder of Rational Emotive Therapy. Underlying this form of therapy is his belief that when a person has become weighed down or snowed down by a personal problem, one of the classic indications is that they become serious and are unable to laugh. Conversely when a person could find a humerous side to their predicament that the experience of being able to laugh again was a turning point. The more we brood on our problems the more we turn molehills into mountains. Place a dot on a blank page and it’s only a dot. However look at it under a microscope and it can take up the entire field of vision. When we lose our ability to laugh it’s a good sign that there is something wrong. Ellis’s therapy was laughter focused as a means of dealing with personal issues and finding fulfillment.
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