For some time now I have been fascinated by the link between creative, flexible thinking and sense of humour – and a loss of humour is certainly the best indication that a person is not thinking flexibly or creatively.
Humour is a most creative state of mind because to find something funny you must perceive it in at least two different ways simultaneously:
It seems to be provoked by the mini orgasm provoked by provoking different meanings/experiences in either hemisphere from the same event at the same time:
Perceiving the literal, explicit, conscious meaning at the same time as (and in conflict with) the metaphoric, synonymous, unconscious meaning; or the moment the expectation is violated by the experience and both are perceived simultaneously.
I’ve been using a methodology called NLP Modelling to capture comedic behaviour and I’m now testing it on ‘open mic’ nights…
Once I can do it – then I will work out how it’s done.
If I can capture this as a model in a way that can be transferred explicitly, imagine the benefit for anyone involved in creative activities, anyone wishing to use humour in presentations or anyone engaged in coaching people who are taking themselves too seriously.
Look for updates under the ‘comedy’ category in the blog.
