Laughter as a Catalyst for Stress Relief

In the modern world, where stress often becomes a constant companion, its accumulation creates an inner tension that alters our perception of the surrounding reality. Under prolonged stress, even the most absurd situations can suddenly transform into emotional releases that trigger laughter. This laughter is not merely a reaction but a natural way for the body to shed excess burden, allowing both body and mind to return to harmony. At the core of this mechanism lies a process in which anticipation and anxiety, once accumulated, suddenly vanish—a transformation perceived as a catalyst for emotional liberation. Thus, laughter becomes a defensive-adaptive response that can not only bring moments of joy but also promote health-beneficial processes within the body. This phenomenon underscores the importance of allowing oneself to experience even absurd emotions, enabling the body to naturally alleviate stress and regain equilibrium.

How can the accumulation of stress affect one's perception of the surrounding reality, causing laughter even in absurd situations?

The build-up of stress results in a state where a person is continuously engulfed in inner tension and expectancy, which significantly alters one’s perception of the surrounding reality. Under the prolonged influence of stress, even absurd or seemingly inappropriate situations can be perceived as moments when this tension is suddenly released. Consequently, this unexpected discharge creates an emotional effect that manifests as laughter.

As noted in the source "1275_6370.txt":
"Aesthetic for him always implies the seriousness of judgment. However, he considered laughter and everything that evokes it from a psychophysiological perspective, linking it, indeed, to one of the types of semantic play. 'Laughter is the affect resulting from the sudden transformation of anticipation tension into nothingness,' which facilitates health-beneficial movements ('oscillations') of a range of the body’s internal organs. By analyzing several jokes, Kant confirms his conclusion and deduces one of the essential principles of the comic—the unexpected discharge of artificially built-up anticipation tension into nothingness through a special playful technique."

This suggests that when stress accumulates, so too do anticipation and tension. It is the abrupt disappearance of this tension that the body perceives as significant enough to provoke laughter—a kind of defensive-adaptive reaction, allowing the organism to "shed" excess emotional burden.

Thus, the accumulation of stress creates a backdrop in which even absurd situations can serve as a catalyst for sudden emotional liberation through laughter.