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Natural Highs

Information and References for Natural Highs

  • Natural highs are superior to chemical highs because they combine short term pleasure with long term benefit. 

  • A healthy natural high should leave a person feeling better physically and mentally.

  • In 2003, a team from Stanford University demonstrated that laughter activated the same brain regions as cocaine use – the brain’s reward system (Mobbs, 2003). 

  • The brain knows how to balance a natural high so the dopamine released does not damage the brain tissue. 

  • A study showed that students, who hold positive attitudes towards substance-free activities and subsequently engage in them regularly, drink less frequently (Levy & Earleywine, 2004). 

  • The health benefits from laughter include improved immune functioning, stress relief, increased pain tolerance and improved cardiovascular health (Fry, 1994; Hayashi, T., Tsujii, S., Iburi, T., et al., 2007).

  • Runners who have experienced the high describe feelings of euphoria and reduced pain sensation. 

  • The runners’ high is the result of endorphins released in the frontal lobe and limbic system of the brain (Boeacker, H, Sprenger, T, Spiker, M, et al., 2008). 
References:

Boecker, H, Sprenger, T, Henriksen, G, Koppenhoefer, M, Wagner, K, Valet, M, Berthele, A, Tolle, T.  The Runner’s High: Opioidergic Mechanisms in the Human Brain.  Cerebral Cortex.  Advanced Access published February 21, 2008.
 
Fry, W.  (1994). The biology of humor. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research. 7, 111-126.
 
Hayashi, T., Tsujii, S., Iburi, T., Tamanaha, T., Yamagami, K., Ishibashi, R., Hori, M., Sakamoto, S., Ishii, H. and Murakami, K.  (2007).  Laughter up-regulates the gene related to NK cell activity in diabetes. 2007. Biomedical Research. 28(6), 281-285.
 
Levy B and Earleywine M. Addictive behaviors 29(1):181-90 2004
 
Mobbs, D., Greicius, M., Azim, E., Menon, V., Reiss, A.L. (2003). Humor modulates the mesolimbic reward regions. Neuron. 40; 1041-1048.
 
 For more information contact:

Matt Bellace, Ph.D.
Motivational Speaker & Comedian

mattbellace@att.net

1619 Third Ave. Suite 17J
New York NY 10128