Lachen als Lachreiz

Zeichentheoretische Aspekte des Lachyoga

Abstract

The present article investigates laughter in the context of laughter therapy. Laughter yoga, a technique developed in India, is based on a prolonged voluntary laughter in the group, combined with yogic breathing and stretching. According to programmatic statements of laughter yoga founder Madan Kataria, his practice can be characterized as “laughing for no reason”. This phrase became a slogan of laughter yogis, although it is not fully realistic, since this exercise program contains various elicitors of laughter and exhilaration that are interrelated with the laughter itself. Laughing is embedded in funny situations by which emotional contagion is specifically supported. Furthermore, the trainer’s laughter can function as an invitation or a request to laugh. The present article focuses on sign processes connected with laughter and deals with the following question: How can contagious laughter, invitation and request to laugh be modeled on a semiotic basis? Pantomimic laughter yoga exercises also show an interesting interplay between laughter and gestures that shall be discussed.