the past of chinese humor therapy

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The Past of Chinese Humor The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy Therapy In traditional Chinese herbal In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, emphasis is given to medicine, emphasis is given to keeping balance of the mind and keeping balance of the mind and emotions, as such there has been emotions, as such there has been a tradition in Chinese medicine a tradition in Chinese medicine to let different emotions to let different emotions overcome each other to cure a overcome each other to cure a mental disorder. mental disorder. The idea could trace as back as The idea could trace as back as to about to about 3000 3000 years ago. years ago.

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The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy. In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, emphasis is given to keeping balance of the mind and emotions, as such there has been a tradition in Chinese medicine to let different emotions overcome each other to cure a mental disorder. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

The Past of Chinese Humor TherapyThe Past of Chinese Humor Therapy • In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, In traditional Chinese herbal medicine,

emphasis is given to keeping balance of the emphasis is given to keeping balance of the mind and emotions, as such there has been a mind and emotions, as such there has been a tradition in Chinese medicine to let different tradition in Chinese medicine to let different emotions overcome each other to cure a emotions overcome each other to cure a mental disorder. mental disorder.

• The idea could trace as back as to about The idea could trace as back as to about

30003000 years ago. years ago.

Page 2: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Antagonistic Emotions Overcoming Each Other 反向情绪相克

• It follows the Taoiest philosophy of yin-yang balance. Psychologically, the antagonistic emotions would complement each other to achieve a homeostasis of one’s mood state.

Page 3: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Happy-Joy Therapy( 喜乐疗法 ): the earliest form of Chinese humor therapy

• The therapy originates in the first book of Chinese medicine “Huang Di Nei Jing” , by which it is believed that “joy overcoming worry( 喜胜忧 )”. Therefore, it is advisable to treat depressed patients with joyful or funny events. There are 4 major forms of humor therapy:

- The comic therapy 戏谑疗法 - The Clown Show Therapy 滑稽疗法 - The redicule therapy 荒谬疗法 - The Happy Event Therapy 冲喜疗法

Page 4: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Happy-joy therapy( 喜乐疗法 ): the earliest form of Chinese humor therapy • It is recorded that Mr. Zhang Zhong-jing, a master of Chinese

medicine around 2000 years ago, used happy-joy therapy. He once gavea special prescription to a depressed patient:

- use 2.5 grams of moxed wheat - make a big bun and steam it - cover it with red ink - finish eating at one mealThe depressed patient followed the instruction but did not eat

the bun. Instead, he hung it on the wall, looked at it everyday, and laughed each time he looked at it. Gradually, his depressed symptoms were relieved.

Page 5: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Happy-joy therapy( 喜乐疗法 )

• In Yuan dynasty( 1271~1368), Mr. Zhu Dan-xi ( 朱丹溪 ) proposed that joy could overcome sadness (“ 喜可以治悲 ), and advocated to use funny stories and languages to treat sadness ( 以欢乐戏谑之言娱之 )( 《丹溪心法要诀》 )。 Specifically, the following were proposed:

- read more comics and funny stories - attend more comic shows - listen more cross talks • The above acts would supposedly have therapeutic effects on

depressed patients.

Page 6: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

1. The Comic Therapy 戏谑疗法

• The comic therapy attempts to relieve the depressed symptoms by putting on funny or humorous acts before patients.

• It is recorded that in 《儒门事亲 · 内伤形》 , a ranking official learned one day suddenly that his father had been mudered lately. He was so saddened that he has cried for a month. Worse still, he discovered a lump on his chest and no medicine could remove it.When he finally invited Mr. Zhang Zi-he ( 张子和 ), a well-known doctor in Yuan dynasty, to come to see him, a female witch doctor was at present.

• Dr. Zheng decided to imitate the witch doctor’s acts. This greatly entertained the patient such that he had to turn his face to the wall. Within days, his depressed systems were much relieved, and the lump was gone as well.

Page 7: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

2. The Clown Show Therapy 滑稽疗法

• The clown show therapy attempts to relieve patient’s depressed symptoms by simply watching clown shows.

• It was recorded that in 《儒门事亲 · 内伤形》 that a woman got a special illness, she was very hungary, but could not eat. Instead, she would become angery easily and scream a lot. Dr. Zhang Zhong-he came to see her, she decided to get two women to dress like clowns and put on many funny acts before the patient for the first day. The patient laughed a lot.

• For the second day, Mr. Zhang got the two women to eat a lot in front of the patient. The patient eventually decided to join the two women to eat, and her apetite has improved eventually.

Page 8: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

3. The Redicule Therapy 荒谬疗法• The redicule therapy attempts to relieve the patient’s

depressed symptoms by presenting rediculous facts to arouse laughters.

• It is recorded in 《医苑典故趣拾》 that in Qing dynasty that a male governor was depressed for quite some time. One day, a doctor came anf tested his pulse. Then, the doctor diagosed him as having period problem. The governor bursted into laughter at the rediculous diagnosis.

• Moreover, each time the governor thought of the diagnosis, he would laugh. Gradually, his depressed symptoms were gone.

Page 9: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

4. The Happy Event Therapy 冲喜疗法• The happy event therapy attempts to use happy

events to help treat depressed symptoms, such as marrige.

• It is recorded in 《程杏轩医案 · 续录》 that when Mr. Cheng Xing-xuan treated young, unmarried female patients, he would recommend them to get married. He argued that a good mood is as powerful as a good medicine(“ 可见情志之病药饵难疗” ).

Page 10: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Humor has been traditionally given little respect in Humor has been traditionally given little respect in Chinese culture mainly due to Chinese culture mainly due to

(1)(1)The Confucian emphasis on keeping proper The Confucian emphasis on keeping proper manners of social interactions. manners of social interactions.

(2)(2)Humor is often considered a show of intellectual Humor is often considered a show of intellectual and political shallowness, and and political shallowness, and is equated with is equated with social social informality, iinformality, immpropernessproperness, , and iand immaturitymmaturity

(3)(3)Chinese humor has been mostly characterized by Chinese humor has been mostly characterized by joke-telling and funny show-performing, but joke-telling and funny show-performing, but satire has never been popular. satire has never been popular.

Features of Chinese HumorFeatures of Chinese Humor

Page 11: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Why Confucius Despised HumorWhy Confucius Despised Humor

- humor jeoperdizes social - humor jeoperdizes social relations relations

- humor upsets social - humor upsets social formality formality

Page 12: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

• TThehere isre is a cultural ambivalence toward a cultural ambivalence toward humor in Chinese society such that on humor in Chinese society such that on one hand, Chinese people are highly one hand, Chinese people are highly appreciative of humor; on the other hand, appreciative of humor; on the other hand, they all despise or even fear humor. they all despise or even fear humor.

• This appreciation-despise complex is This appreciation-despise complex is what Chinese people need to be keenly what Chinese people need to be keenly aware of and to enhancaware of and to enhancee humor in humor in Chinese society. Chinese society.

• Chinese people do need to enjoy humor Chinese people do need to enjoy humor after thousands of years of discrimination after thousands of years of discrimination against it (Yue, 2006).against it (Yue, 2006).

Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008 Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008

Page 13: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

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Being Humorous (對幽默感重要)

Being Chinese (對中國人重要)

Comparison of important traits for Humor and Chinese Character

Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008 Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008

Page 14: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

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Charateristics for being Chinese

Charateristics for humor

Comparison of important traits for Chinese Character and Humor

Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008 Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008

Page 15: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Rating of Humor and Self HumorRating of Humor and Self Humor

Table Table 11: Rating of Humor and Self Humor by Hong Kong Students (n = 159): Rating of Humor and Self Humor by Hong Kong Students (n = 159)

Importance of Humor Rating of Self Humor

Mean S.D. Mean S.D. t-value

Hong Kong males

8.25 1.31 6.47 1.10 10.02***

Hong Kang females

8.26 1.56 5.93 1.14 12.15***

Note: *p<.05; **p<.01; *** p<.001.Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Yue, X.D. (2006). The Chinese ambivalence to humor: A study among university students in Hong Kong , Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008 Paper presented at the 19 ISHS Conference, Salvegina University, New Port, RI, June 28-July 4, 2008

Page 16: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

The Present of Chinese The Present of Chinese Humor TherapyHumor Therapy

Page 17: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

1.1. Chinese humor got a brief reneisance of about 20 Chinese humor got a brief reneisance of about 20 years (1910-1930) after the downfall of the last years (1910-1930) after the downfall of the last feudal dynasty in China, the Qing Dynasty. feudal dynasty in China, the Qing Dynasty.

2.2. Chinese humor suffered another 30 years of Chinese humor suffered another 30 years of underdevelopment in 1950-1980 under the underdevelopment in 1950-1980 under the influence of ideological puritanism after the influence of ideological puritanism after the founding of the PRC. founding of the PRC.

3.3. Chinese humor thrived greatly since 1980, and Chinese humor thrived greatly since 1980, and has been widely appreciated in everyday life.has been widely appreciated in everyday life.

4.4. Chinese humor therapy is still very much Chinese humor therapy is still very much underdeveloped due to lack of communication. underdeveloped due to lack of communication.

Modern development of Chinese HumorModern development of Chinese Humor

Page 18: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

幽默疗法在当今的运用幽默疗法在当今的运用• Dr. Li Pei-wen has been a pioner in the

development of Chinese humor therapy, particularly in the cancer and tumor treatment.

• 李佩文主持参加过多项国家科研课题,获得过多次国家及省部级奖励;他是国内中医界较早将心理幽默疗法、音乐疗法等引入肿瘤治疗的先行者。

Page 19: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

Modern Humor Therapy in China

• It is reported that Dr. Ruan Peng ( 阮鹏 ) and Dr. Ruan Hao-ran (2005) used humor therapy to treat chronic stomache patients. The following was done each day:

- watch a comedy movie on every morning, afternoon, and evening; - read humor books, magazines; - let all nurses to smile as much as they can to the patients.

Page 20: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

The Future of Chinese The Future of Chinese Humor TherapyHumor Therapy

Page 21: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

1.1. There should be more communication & There should be more communication & exchanges about humor therapy between the exchanges about humor therapy between the Eest and the West. Eest and the West.

2.2. There should be more laughter yoga and laughter There should be more laughter yoga and laughter exercises for Chinese humor therapy. exercises for Chinese humor therapy.

3.3. There should be more diversity in humor therapy There should be more diversity in humor therapy in Chinese society.in Chinese society.

4.4. There should be more participation into the There should be more participation into the humor therapy from the medical, educational, humor therapy from the medical, educational, and psychological professions. and psychological professions.

Future Direction for Chinese Humor TherapyFuture Direction for Chinese Humor Therapy

Page 22: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-_LDDrvr5c_LDDrvr5c

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Page 23: The Past of Chinese Humor Therapy

http://www.plkesp.hk/