In a room in Japan a group of people gather. After the projection of a video of a few seconds, sobbing begins to be heard. During the next 40 minutes a sequence of different shorts will be played that will make what was initially a faint lament turn into a cry that envelops the entire place.
It is a rui-katsu or 'seeking tears' event, a Japanese therapy - started in 2013 - that seeks to bring out the emotions of the citizens of a country in which hiding feelings is the order of the day. . The secret of these sessions is doing it in a group: for the participants, crying in a group is the way to remove the “depressive” component that they consider crying alone has.
Crying, in therapy or outside of it, is completely natural. In fact, our body produces more than 100 liters of tears per year. But, beyond the fact that it is something intrinsic to being human, it is beneficial.
Our body is wise and one of the reasons we cry is to cleanse it.
The tears produced in stressful situations serve to expel from our body the substances that increase cortisol, the hormone responsible for generating stress. This, according to research by biochemist William H. Frey II, is why we feel better after crying. According to his studies, our body expels toxic substances through tears in the same way it does through urine or sweating.
It is clear that a good cry can provide a feeling of relief and release tension, even when the reason that led us to cry still exists. But, this is not the only thing. It also improves our mood.
According to a study from the University of South Florida, crying may be more beneficial in improving our mood than any antidepressant. 90% of the people who participated in this research stated that, after crying, they felt much better.
Those hundred liters of tears that our body produces each year are not only there to help us release tension. Another of its objectives is to prevent our eyes from drying out.
Dehydration of the membranes in our eyes can make our vision a little blurry, but tears are there to come to the rescue. According to the American Eye Institute, tears are responsible for moisturizing, cleaning, and getting rid of dust and dirt particles that may be in the eyes.
In addition to cleaning our eyes and maintaining the moisture they need, tears also kill bacteria.
Another study, from the United States Toxicology Research Center, discovered that tears contain lysozyme, an enzyme that is responsible for destroying the cell walls of bacteria. This enzyme can also be found in breast milk, semen, mucous membranes and saliva.
So now you know. The next time you feel like crying, don't resist, grab a box of tissues and take advantage of all the benefits.
