We’ve all heard the saying “laugh until it hurts,” but for some unfortunate souls, the laughter has taken a darker turn. Incredibly, there have been rare cases where people have actually died from laughing too much. From uncontrollable laughter to laughter-induced heart attacks, these bizarre stories prove that sometimes humor really can be deadly. Although laughter can be said to be the best medicine, these scary stories remind us that too much of a good thing can lead to disaster in extreme cases. Here are three absolutely incredible stories of people who laughed themselves to death; because sometimes reality is stranger than fiction, and in these cases it’s a laugh you’d rather not have.
Can laughter be dangerous?
Laughter tends to be generally beneficial for general health and mental well-being, but in exceptionally rare cases can be extremely dangerous. A dangerous condition called asphyxia can occur; this is essentially a situation where the body may not get enough oxygen, putting it at risk of death.
Then there is laughing syncope where a sudden drop in blood pressure causes a sudden fainting and loss of consciousness. Additionally, for people who have specific medical conditions, such as asthma or heart disease, serious laughter can make symptoms worse or even trigger an attack.
Although these cases are rare, it is important to know how your body reacts to laughter. For most people, laughter is a healthy, fun activity that provides many benefits, including stress relief and improved mood. However, it may be wise for people with such underlying conditions to avoid excessive laughter, simply to prevent further damage.
3 cases where people died of laughter
Chrysippus of Soli
Chrysippus of Soli (279–206 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is also known as the second founder of Stoicism. Born in Soli, Cilicia (present-day Turkey), he migrated to Athens to study under Cleanthes, who was the second head of the Stoic school. When Cleanthes died around 230 BC, Chrysippus became his successor, shaping Stoicism through his writings on logic, ethics, and physics. He wrote more than 700 works.
According to reports, his death at age 73 is still a big anecdote. One version has him die laughing at a donkey eating figs and jokingly orders it to be given undiluted wine. Another story shows him falling over in a fit of uncontrollable laughter at a banquet because he had gotten drunk. Chrysippus’s death shows the extremes of humor and the human experience and contributes to his legacy.
Alex Mitchell
Alex Mitchell, 50-year-old bricklayer from Norfolk, England, was part of an extraordinary story when he died after laughing uncontrollably for almost 25 minutes while watching the BBC comedy show The Goodies on March 24, 1975. The episode “Kung Fu Capers” featured slapstick humor involving a Scotsman and martial arts that elicited Mitchell’s prolonged laugh.
Eventually he became so noisy that he fell off the chair he was sitting on. He died of heart failure, as reported. It is postulated that this condition was caused by a cardiac arrest or stroke due to the pressure exerted on his body by laughing for too long.
In what was a uniquely tragic and humorously odd turn of events, Mitchell’s widow later testified that the TV show’s actors said they had finally brought joy to his last minutes and thanked them profusely before he died of a heart attack.
Ole Bentzen
The third death due to laughter occurred when Ole Bentzen, a 71-year-old Danish audiologist, died in 1989 while watching the comedy film “A Fish Called Wanda.” In this case, while watching the movie, Bentzen was so amused by a scene that he couldn’t stop laughing. According to reports, his heart rate was said to have accelerated up to an estimated 250 to 500 beats per minute from the laughter.
The fatal heart attack was due to extreme stress on his cardiovascular system. Bentzen passed out and was immediately taken to the hospital, but nothing could be done to save him then. His unprecedented death is a characteristic example of how extreme physiological responses to emotional triggers, even as harmless as laughter, can be devastating, making the phenomenon of these rare events all the more extraordinary but sad.
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