A yawn (?????) is a reflex consisting of the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the eardrums, followed by an exhalation of breath. Yawning most often occurs in adults immediately before and after sleep, during tedious activities and as a result of its contagious quality. It is commonly associated with tiredness, stress, sleepiness, boredom, or even hunger. In humans, yawning is often triggered by the perception that others are yawning e.g. seeing a person yawning, or talking to someone on the phone who is yawning. This being a most common activity, Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System wishes our readers to know technical issues and what different cultures think about yawn.
How Yawn develops (????? ???? ?????? ???? ??)
The majority of disorders associated with yawning are those of the central nervous system, including epilepsy, encephalitis, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, and progressive supranuclear palsy. Excessive yawning is also associated with opiate withdrawal and the consumption of a variety of drugs that affect neurotransmitters, such as drugs prescribed for Parkinson’s disease or depression. Studies have shown that people with brain lesions, tumors and certain kinds of epilepsy often yawn excessively, while schizophrenics yawn very little.
Yawning can also be the first sign of what is called the vasovagal reaction. Potentially aversive stimuli, such as needle pricks or even generalized anxiety about some future event, can lead to increased activity in the vagus nerve. In some people, the increased activity can cause their blood pressure and heart rate to fall. If the reaction is mild, these people may yawn, or feel apprehensive or restless. In more severe cases a person can exhibit dizziness, nausea, palpitation or even fall into unconsciousness.
What are the causes of Yawn (?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???)
Theories (????????)
There are a number of theories that attempt to explain why humans and other animals yawn. It is likely that there are a number of triggers for the behavior; however, there are comparatively few theories that attempt to explain the primary evolutionary reason for the yawn.
Increased carbon dioxide (???? ??? ?????? ??????????)
One study states that yawning occurs when one’s blood contains increased amounts of carbon dioxide and therefore becomes in need of the influx of oxygen or expulsion of carbon dioxide that a yawn can provide. Yawning may, in fact, reduce oxygen intake compared to normal respiration; however, neither providing more oxygen nor reducing carbon dioxide in the air decreased yawning.
Another proposal points out that animals subject to predation or other dangers must be ready to physically exert themselves at any given moment. At least one study suggests that yawning, especially psychological “contagious” yawning, may have developed as a way of keeping a group of animals alert.
Perception of need for action (???????? ?? ???????? ?? ?????)
Nervousness, which often indicates the perception of an impending need for action, has also been suggested as a cause. Anecdotal evidence suggests that yawning helps increase a person’s alertness. Paratroopers have been noted to yawn during the moments before they exit their aircraft and athletes often yawn just before intense exertions.
Control of brain temperature (???????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????)
Another notion states that yawning is the body’s way of controlling brain temperature. In 2007, researchers, including a professor of psychology from the SUNY Albany, proposed yawning may be a means to keep the brain cool.
Regulation of body temperature (???? ?? ?????? ?? ???????)
A similar hypothesis suggests yawning is used for regulation of body temperature. Similarly, Guttmann and Dopart found that when a subject wearing earplugs yawns, the air moving between the subject’s ear and the environment causes a breeze to be heard.
Influx or outflux of oxygen (??????? ?? ???????? ?? ????????)
Guttmann and Dopart determined that a yawn causes one of three possible situations to occur: the brain cools down due to an influx or outflux of oxygen; pressure in the brain is reduced by an outflux of oxygen, or the pressure of the brain is increased by an influx of air caused by increased cranial space.
Yawn behavior may be altered as a result of medical issues such as:
How Yawn functions (????? ???? ????? ???? ??)
With respect to a possible evolutionary advantage, yawning might be a herd instinct. Theories suggest that the yawn serves to synchronize mood in gregarious animals, similar to howling in a wolf pack. It signals fatigue among members of a group in order to synchronize sleeping patterns and periods.
Research by Garrett Norris (2013) involving monitoring the behaviour of students kept waiting in a reception area indicates a connection between empathic ability and yawning. “We believe that contagious yawning indicates empathy. It indicates an appreciation of other peoples’ behavioral and physiological state,” says Norris.
Contagious yawn (???????? ??????)
The yawn reflex has long been observed to be contagious. In 1508, Erasmus wrote, “One man’s yawning makes another yawn”, and the French proverbialized the idea to “Un Bon bâilleur en fait bâiller sept” (“One good gaper makes seven others gape”). Often, if one person yawns, this may cause another person to “empathetically” yawn. Observing another person’s yawning face (especially his/her eyes), reading or thinking about yawning, or looking at a yawning picture can cause a person to yawn.
Autism spectrum disorders (???????????? ?????????? ?????)
A 2007 study found that young children with autism spectrum disorders do not increase their yawning frequency after seeing videos of other people yawning, in contrast to typically developing children. In fact, the autistic children actually yawned less during the videos of yawning than during the control videos. This supports the claim that contagious yawning is related to empathic capacity.
Relationship (?????)
The relationship between yawn contagion and empathy is strongly supported by a 2011 behavioral study, conducted by Ivan Norscia and Elisabetta Palagi (University of Pisa, Italy). The study revealed that—among other variables such as nationality, gender, and sensory modality—only social bonding predicted the occurrence, frequency, and latency of yawn contagion.
Two classes of yawning have been observed among primates. In some cases, the yawn is used as a threat gesture as a way of maintaining order in the primates’ social structure. Specific studies were conducted on chimpanzees and stump tail macaques. A group of these animals was shown a video of other members of their own species yawning; both species yawned as well. This helps to partly confirm a yawn’s “contagiousness”.
The Discovery Channel’s show “Myth Busters” also tested this concept. In their small-scale, informal study they concluded that yawning is contagious, although elsewhere the statistical significance of this finding has been disputed.
Human evolutionary history (???? ????????? ??????)
Gordon Gallup, who hypothesizes that yawning may be a means of keeping the brain cool, also hypothesizes that “contagious” yawning may be a survival instinct inherited from our evolutionary past. “During human evolutionary history, when we were subject to predation and attacks by other groups, if everybody yawns in response to seeing someone yawn the whole group becomes much more vigilant and much better at being able to detect danger.”
Yawning has multiple possible functions and may occur when the body perceives the benefits.
Yawn and empathy (?????? ?? ?????????)
In a study involving gelada baboons, yawning was contagious between individuals, especially those that were socially close. This suggests that emotional proximity rather than spatial proximity is an indicator of yawn contagion.
Evidence for the occurrence of contagious yawning linked to empathy is rare outside of primates. It has been studied in Canidae species, such as the domestic dog and wolf. Domestic dogs have shown the ability to yawn contagiously in response to human yawns. This indicates that contagious yawning may have evolved several times in different lineages.
In certain neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, the patient has an impaired ability to infer the mental states of others.
Yawn in Animals (????? ??? ?????? ????)
Baboon yawn (????? ?? ??????)
Fish yawn (???? ?? ??????)
Pig yawn (???? ?? ??????)
Penguin yawn (??????? ?? ??????)
Dog & cat yawn (?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????)
What are the Yawn cultural myths (????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ???)
Some cultures lend yawning spiritual significance. An open mouth has been associated with letting good immaterial things (such as the soul) escape or letting bad ones (evil spirits) enter, and yawning may have been thought to increase these risks. Covering the mouth when yawning may have been a way to prevent such transmission.
Exorcists believe yawning can indicate that a demon or possessive spirit is leaving its human host during the course of an exorcism. Superstitions regarding the act of yawning may have arisen from concerns over public health.
Polydore Vergil (c. 1470–1555), in his De Rerum Inventoribus, writes that it was customary to make the Sign of the Cross over one’s mouth, since “alike deadly plague was sometime in yawning, wherefore men used to fence themselves with the sign of the cross… which custom we retain at this day.”
Yawning is often perceived as implying boredom, and yawning conspicuously in another’s presence has historically been a faux pas.
In 1663 Francis Hawkins advised, “In yawning howl not, and thou shouldst abstain as much as thou can to yawn, especially when thou speakest”. George Washington said, “If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkerchief or Hand before your face and turn aside.”
These customary beliefs persist in the modern age. One of Mason Cooley’s aphorisms is “A yawn is more disconcerting than a contradiction.” A loud yawn may even lead to penalties for contempt of court.
Reference:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yawn
- https://www.diagnose-me.com/symptoms-of/excessive-yawning.php
Quite interesting to read about different myths in different culture. However, scientific facts enhances our knowledge about most commanly experienced activity of yawn. Thanks.
I am pleased to have your nice words, Madam! Although yawn may look funny, it is a natural indication for going something wrong in the body, however, we neglect it. One can not only enhance knowledge but also learn some free Siddha energy remedies for the correction of our bodily diseases. Thanks for being with us.
This article you wrote is very useful thanks for giving information about it.
So nice of you, Shubham! You liked the information about Yawn, it’s my pleasure!. Thanks for your good words! Please be in touch!
Very useful information.
Yeah, we all undergo this problem in our lifetime but not we all know the reasons. I hope, you must have been now well informed about “Yawn”. Please try to share this information with others. Thanks for your great words.
Very well explained.Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Ankita! It’s quite pleasing to see you after a long time. Thanks for your good words. Please be in touch and enhance your knowledge.
Wonderful information shared, keep up the good work
Thanks, Vishal for your good words! There are many things we experience but we should have a curiosity to know ‘why it’s happening’. I have tried to bring such things to the knowledge of people. Let us share with others too. Let everyone get benefits.