Some say it is the magic recipe. A good laugh a day keeps the doctor away. Or an apple. Just being able to laugh means that you have a sense of humor? Consider this guy over here propagating the mechanical laughter. Creepy. Laughter doesn’t imply the comic. Laughter can be pathological, laughter can be hysterical. But when it implies comicality (as the aesthetical category), it has a social value, a social function.

Aristotle in Poetica has the following definition on this: “Comedy is, as we have said, an imitation of characters of a lower type- not, however, in the full sense of the word bad, the ludicrous being merely a subdivision of the ugly. It consists in some defect or ugliness which is not painful or destructive. To take an obvious example, the comic mask is ugly and distorted, but does not imply pain.” (Part V.)

Considered a gospel by many great artists, it is also helpful to see here, that comicality must not imply pain. But it is not too gentle either. It simply acts on an other level. When the sense of humor notices something worthy to be expressed, it never hurts, but it warns. Thus, it becomes constructive, thus it contributes to the development of others.

Being entertained by disgust

Due to the overwhelming presence of the ugly in our current era, the predominant aesthetic category of our times is disgust. Accordingly, humorous entertainment tends to be focused on disgusting matters. Rarely considered or used as social warning. Mostly as a perversion. Louts are laughing on everything. But Aristotle warned that in the true sense, one should not laugh on everything.

Laughing is relaxing of inner tension

Laughing occurs when there is an inner tension. When the inner tension needs to be released. Laughing eliminates the surplus of energy. That tension is created by impressions that can not be reconciled. Every joke, at its core, imitates the occurrence of this tension. The punchline produces the release of that tension. Thus, you can get rid of the accumulated conflicting impressions.

Psychoanalysts consider humor a form of sublimated aggression. Which correlates here. Aggression can turn into violence when the inner tension is unbearable. But as you see, also a joke can help with that in a friendly, peaceful way.

What to do if a joke is not at hand?

More to that, a joke does not give guaranties to the sublimation to occur, or to the relaxing of the tension. It might be too late, it might be unfitting, inappropriate etc., maybe having the effect of increasing the tension. So, the outer source for that to happen is not always available. Still, there is hope. Our own sense of humor can save the day. In that case, we need to do the job ourselves. We need to make an effort. A conscious effort.

“The sense of humor is often mistakenly considered as given. It is confused with the ability to laugh. Although the relation is close, they are not the same. The sense of humor can be caught in action in rare moments. And it doesn’t imply laughter. As an example for this, in a recent reading my attention was drawn to the fact that Christ never laughed. There isn’t any evidence, not even the slightest one, that Christ laughed even once.” (in P.D.Ouspensky, In Search of the Miraculous, Ch. XI.).

And on the other hand, there are people so deeply involved with their own negative emotions that they never laugh. So sour, so severe and serious in a sick way.

A good, developed and polished sense of humor can be even more than just a tool to get rid of accumulated conflicting energy. By facing greater oppositions, existential paradoxes, meeting and facing the absurd can become a spring-board for spiritual evolution. More on that soon.

The truth about not knowing

Just consider how ravishing it sounds in its simplicity to acknowledge the state of not knowing. But this works only if one says it about oneself. It never works if someone else does the honors. Can you imagine that? How would you react if somebody would tell you that in fact you don’t really know anything. Anything at all. Truth hurts. Mostly when someone else tells it to you. So, at least that much knowledge was left there. Knowledge of being insulted.

Awakening is the preferred term to denote the radical change required in terms of spiritual development. Usually it is pointing out the first phase of the unfolding of such a process. Then, it might point out different stages of the process. The concept can be tricky, as there is no linearity involved, not in the time and space as we know. But in the subjective time and inner space.

Letting go of the so obsessively embraced identity is a requirement. Mistaking ourselves for the things we gathered around us, holding on so tightly to our imagined self, sometimes even to our sufferings – needs to end. Some say, the ego needs to be destroyed. This one still goes beyond my understanding. I don’t get the combative mood here. I don’t see anything that needs to be destroyed.

Awakening doesn’t only mean that one realizes the worthlessness of the accumulated knowledge. But going even further. Realizing our nothingness. Also, realizing our absolute helplessness. When you start to understand yourself, at certain moments you get horrified. Then you decide to get rid of that horrifying part of yourself. But you can’t. Slowly you start to accept your helplessness, your nothingness. Only then you can see how you really are.

Changing the focus from what is seen to the seer

We use the term being awake generally to indicate that we are not sleeping. Awakening from sleep goes naturally, meaning that you are not commonly aware of how that happens. There might be exceptions. If we consider conscious dreaming, we might realize that it is possible to wake up voluntarily. How does that happen? The methods indicate that if you wish to end your dream and wake up, then you should focus your sight on one spot. That is supposed to make it happen. It is interesting to see, that what in fact makes the awakening happen is the change of focus not necessarily of your “eyes”, but you are in fact focusing on yourself. On your self. Reorienting your focus and amplifying your self awareness. Remembering yourself in a dream causes the awakening.

Why should it be different if we consider the spiritual connotations of “awakening”? Changing the focus, orienting it towards a less altering identity. Towards a self that seems different from the ones so deeply identified with its surroundings. To a more objective one. Seemingly the end of comparative reality can come to an end only through self remembering.