why are yawns contagious?

[ToKEN]

does anyone know why yawns are contagious most of the time? This came up tonight after smoking with my friends and one yawned. then before we knew it we all yawned too and geeked out. We couldnt figure it out though, no one knew why.

Just wondering if anyone out there has at least heard some kind of reason why it happens.

 

[daddy fingaz]

i believe when you yawn its due to your brain needing more oxegen eg when your about to go to sleep and your body is slowing down etc, if you see someone else yawn your brain will subconsiously think you need the same and make you yawn! ...something like that anyway!?!

 

[ToKEN]

that definately has to be it or at least something like it like you said. I can't really think of any other reason for doing it besides subconsiously.. good call daddy fingaz

 

[Guest]

i dunno but as i was reading your post i started to yawn so even over the internet it's contagious

 

[Verite]

does anyone know why yawns are contagious most of the time? This came up tonight after smoking with my friends and one yawned. then before we knew it we all yawned too and geeked out. We couldnt figure it out though, no one knew why.

Just wondering if anyone out there has at least heard some kind of reason why it happens.

The sweet short answer is called ' mirror neurons '. Scientists discovered that neurons in the brain fire off not only when the subject performs any type of act but also when the subject visually observes the act being performed by another subject. They also found out that the mirror neurons fire off when the subject merely anticipates the activity. Like when the activity happens behind a visual shield. They also found the neurons fired off even when the subject couldnt see the activity but only heard it.

So the act of seeing someone yawn triggers the response in your own brain and since the nature of yawns is sub-conscious it must make it easier to trigger than other body responses than need more than a sub-conscious trigger like a sneeze or hiccups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neurons

 

[Echoes]

i dunno but as i was reading your post i started to yawn so even over the internet it's contagious

This also happened to me. Pretty strange.

 

[Lune TNS]

This also happened to me. Pretty strange.

Me too.

 

[ToKEN]

The sweet short answer is called ' mirror neurons '. Scientists discovered that neurons in the brain fire off not only when the subject performs any type of act but also when the subject visually observes the act being performed by another subject. They also found out that the mirror neurons fire off when the subject merely anticipates the activity. Like when the activity happens behind a visual shield. They also found the neurons fired off even when the subject couldnt see the activity but only heard it.

So the act of seeing someone yawn triggers the response in your own brain and since the nature of yawns is sub-conscious it must make it easier to trigger than other body responses than need more than a sub-conscious trigger like a sneeze or hiccups.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neurons

thanks man, that definately cleared it up. never thought about wickipedia...thanks for your feedback.

excel...were you talkin about the opium thread?