Hour 24 Meditation – Being Playful and Non-Serious: The Meditative Quality of Laughter
Being Playful and Non-Serious: The Meditative Quality of Laughter
Introduction: The Power of Playfulness and Laughter in Meditation
In most traditional spiritual disciplines, there is a strong focus on seriousness, discipline, and effort. The meditator is usually someone who has to be stoic, concentrated, and detached from worldly desires. But Osho presents a completely different view: meditation is not serious, it is a play. Joy and laughter are the integral parts of the meditative state—they are not distractions, but natural signs of a mind at ease.
In this module, we will investigate how playfulness and laughter—the characteristics usually thought to belong to the non-serious mind—lie at the very heart of the meditative nature of being. We will learn why Osho inspires his disciples to be light-hearted, spontaneous, and non-serious on the path of spirituality, and how it can become the cause for increased depth in meditation.
The Seriousness of the Mind vs. The Freedom of the Heart
In Osho’s teachings, he tends to compare the seriousness of the mind with the freedom of the heart. Seriousness is described as a characteristic of the ego—a rigid framework that enforces rules and boundaries, giving rise to a feeling of burden and heaviness in life. The serious mind tends to be contracted, tense, and controlled, which can result in mental exhaustion and emotional repression.
Conversely, the playful mind is spontaneous, open, and creative. It flow freely without judgment or resistance, and responds to life as it is. Playfulness comes from a place of innocence and curiosity, enabling one to tackle the challenges and delights of life without attachment to results.
Osho underlines that meditation is not a way to escape the world, but a means to be deeply rooted in it with a light heart. He invites us to enter into meditation and spiritual practice with joy, freedom, and playfulness.
Laughter: The Gateway to Inner Freedom
Laughter, as Osho sees it, is not merely a sign of amusement—it is a sign of inner freedom. It arises from the depths of the being, where there is no pretension or effort. Laughing dissolves tension, releases suppressed emotions, and opens up a space of relaxation and lightness. It is a spontaneous release of energy that liberates the mind from the clutches of the ego.
The Use of Laughter in Meditation:
- Laughter as Release: Laughter serves to release the inner tension that has accumulated due to overthinking and repression. It allows a space of ease to be created in the body and mind, enabling meditation to naturally unfold.
- Laughter as Presence: In laughing, we lose ourselves for a moment in the present. We are no longer ensnared by thoughts or projections about the past or future. Laughter returns us to the here and now, which is at the core of the state of meditation.
- Laughter as a Tool of Transformation: Through laughter, we can alchemize negative feelings such as anger, frustration, and fear into a positive, light energy. This is the alchemy of turning the mind’s negativity into joy and celebration.
The Meditative Quality of Laughter
In Osho’s imagination, laughter is a dynamic meditation method. It’s not an expression from the outside—it is an experience from within. Real laughter is deep and silent, it comes from the heart and not from the mind. It is a laughter that arises spontaneously, not forced or controlled. This deep laughter relaxes the body and mind and brings about awareness.
The meditative nature of laughter is that it melts the distinction between the other and the self. It brings a common place of happiness where the differences between you and me are lost. Laughter evokes a sense of unity, oneness, and harmony.
The Key Elements of Meditative Laughter:
- Spontaneity: Laughter occurs without planning, similar to a child’s natural laugh. There is no attempt to make it occur; it just comes from within.
- Lightness: Meditative laughter is light, where the weight of ego and mind is put aside temporarily.
- Non-attachment: In meditation, laughter occurs when we are not attached to any specific outcome or situation. It is an unencumbered expression of being in the moment.
- Silent Laughter: And sometimes, the deepest laughter is silent—it is an inner smile, a quiet chuckle that does not have to be audible. It is the laughter of the soul.
Laughter as a Path to the Inner Child
Osho invites us to connect with the inner child—the part of us that is playfully innocent, curious, and joyful. The inner child is the part of us that is free from the load of social expectations, judgments, and duties. It is the part of us that is spontaneous, creative, and inquisitive.
Through laughter, we can become reconnected to this innocent and playful side of our nature. Osho says that in order to reach the meditative state, we have to release the stiff, serious approaches we inherited from our parents and embrace lightness and freedom of our inner child.
Ways to Reconnect with the Inner Child through Laughter:
- Playful Meditation: Do things like dancing, singing, or playing out spontaneous acts of joy. Let yourself laugh freely and unselfconsciously.
- Laugh at Yourself: Learn to not take yourself so seriously. Laugh at your own thinking, errors, and limitations. This exercise will help you release the ego’s hold.
- Be with Children: Spend time with children, who by nature have the spirit of playfulness and laughter. Their natural exuberance can remind you of your own fun.
The Practice of Laughter Meditation
Osho created a number of methods that involve laughter as a central element. One of the most popular is Osho’s Dynamic Meditation, which involves a catharsis stage—a process of letting go of emotional blockages through laughter, tears, and shouting. This letting go enables the meditator to reach a state of pure awareness and inner peace.
Another method, Osho’s Laughter Meditation, consists of the following steps:
- Find a Comfy Spot: Sit comfortably with your spine erect and your body relaxed.
- Start Laughing: Begin with a soft laugh—maybe a chuckle or a smile. Progressively let the laughter become louder and more spontaneous.
- Release Control: Do not try to control it or force the laughter. Allow the laughter to flow freely, without judgment or anticipation.
- Allow for Silence: After a while, let the laughter fall into a space of silence, where you just feel an inner, deep smile. This is the space of deep meditation that comes after releasing tension.
Reflective Questions
- Think about your experience of laughter in everyday life. How frequently do you laugh without any specific reason? Remember an instance when laughter enabled you to release tension or stress?
- How does your thinking respond when you are asked to be more playful, to lighten up, or to not be so serious? Is it easy for you to laugh spontaneously, or do you tend to restrain yourself?
- What is the place of joy in your meditation practice? How can you bring more playfulness and lightness into your everyday life?
- How do you understand the interplay between seriousness and playfulness in spiritual practice? Do you understand them as opposites, or do you believe they can live together in harmony?
Conclusion: Embracing the Playful Spirit in Meditation
Osho’s philosophy of laughter and playfulness focuses on the meditative aspect of being light and non-serious. By accepting joy and spontaneity, we release ourselves from the heavy hold of the ego and become receptive to the flow of life. Laughter is not just an emotional release but also a means to greater awareness and inner freedom.
Meditation, as Osho sees it, is not a serious, solemn practice—it is a celebration, an expression of the raw energy that runs through us. Through developing a sense of playfulness and laughter, we can bring about a radical shift in our meditation practice, from rigidity to flow, from seriousness to joy, and from ego to essence