Laughter does not exist in all of the centers, but only in those, that are divided in two halves: positive & negative. Even if I have not talked about it in detail, I will, when we study centers in more detail. For now we will study intellectual center. There are certain impressions possible, that are projected to both halves of the center, invoking simultaneously both "sharp" YES & "sharp" NO. These simultaneous "yes" and "no" produce special contractions; and not being able to harmonize & absorb two contradicting impression from one/same fact, center starts to throw/release energy in form of laughter, that flows in from accumulator that feeds it. Sometimes, in accumulator there are too much energy gathered, and center is not capable of using it. Then any, even most casual impression could be perceived in dual form, aka it will get on two halves of it at the same time, which will produce laughter, aka release of energy.
"Of course, I am giving you common definitions; you ought to remember, that yawning, as well as laughter are very contagious. It shows, that they are functions of instinctive & moving centers"
- But why laughter is so pleasant ? - someone has asked.
- Because laughter releases you from extra energy, - said Gurdjieff, - which, if stays unused, may become negative, aka poison.
There are a lot of this poison inside of us. Laughter is anti-poison. This anti-poison is only necessary until we learn how to use all of the energy for useful work. When speaking about Christ, they say he never laugh. There is no mentioning of him in new testament of him laughing. But there are different methods not to laugh. Some people do not laugh because they are absorbed by negative emotions - anger, fear, hate, suspicion. And there are people that do not laugh, because they do not have negative emotions. Understand one thing: there can not be laughter in higher centers, because in higher centers there is no division/separation, "yes" and "no" does not exist there.