Dear Swami
By Swami Beyondananda
Where Swami answers your questions,
and you will question his answers.
Dear Swami:
More and more, I keep hearing about the health benefits of laughter, but I’m not convinced. Is there any actual scientific proof that laughter is good for us?
— Olaf Moore,
Fargo, North Dakota
Dear Olaf:
Well, I’ll let you decide for yourself. In a now-famous experiment, a group of psychology students were given two hours off to watch comedy movies. Another group was deprived of sleep for three days, then given Croatian parables to memorize ... and given electric shocks each time they made a mistake. The results were conclusive. The group watching comedy had more fun.
Dear Swami:
I thought I heard on the radio the other day that overall crime is down compared with fifty years ago. As a resident of the ’hood where I see crime increasing all the time, I cannot believe this is true. What do you think, Swami? Is overall crime really down? And what can be done to make the ’hood a less dangerous place?
— Amos B. Haven,
Los Angeles, California
Dear Amos:
The radio report was absolutely right. Overall crime is indeed down compared to fifty years ago. In 1959, for example, some thirty percent of all crime was committed by people in overalls. Today, that figure is just under eight percent. As for the ’hood, I agree it is more deadly than ever before. And I think this deadly ’hood is due to lack of livelihood. Unfortunately, when the most profitable forms of livelihood in the ’hood are deadly, only the deadly hoods have a livelihood. So how do we fix this problem? Well, when we take a look under the hood, we see that what we now call the “’hood” used to be called the “neighborhood.” This tells me that when the “neighbor” is removed, only the “hood” remains. So the answer is simple (although it may not be easy). If we want to turn a deadly ’hood into a lively ’hood, the neighbors must be stronger in force than the hoods—and the promise of livelihood must be greater than the profits of deadlihood.
Dear Swami:
I’m afraid I keep creating the same situation over and over again. I totally fall for some guy whom I’m convinced is The One. For weeks, or sometimes for months, I feel like I’m on a cloud, walking on air. And then one day, I am shocked to find that he is a cad who doesn’t care about me at all. Is there a name for this affliction? And is there any lesson I can learn from this experience?
— Rhoda Ruder,
New Haven, Connecticut
Dear Rhoda:
I think the psychologists call your problem “delusions of glandeur.” And unfortunately you’re not the first Cinderella to wish for a twin soul—and end up with a heel instead. As for a lesson, I would suggest that romance is like electricity: If you’re grounded, you’re less likely to be shocked.
© 2009 by Steve Bhaerman. All rights reserved. Swami Beyondananda—and his hilarious books and CDs—can be found online at www.wakeuplaughing.com or call toll free (800) SWAMI-BE for a free catalogue.
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