Jump for Joy!!

Where did this expression come from?
The origin is unsure, however, its meaning is known world wide.

We have seen those jump for joy when claimed the winner, the ones who jump at the revelation of good news, such as a letter/email from someone you love and miss, or jumping at being surprised with something long wished for.
We can suppose that the feeling of joy originates with that first, hard pump of the heart when that combination of dopamine and adrenaline is released in our brains at the onset of something that elates or excites us.

As it stands, all of us look to have those moments in life where we experience joy. It provides a natural “high”. In a world that is oppressed with so many varieties and combinations of “downers”, it is no wonder that we find something to relieve them. 

Actually, jumping releases natural endorphines which provide you with the same kind of high you might experience with the use of a drug. Endorphines are essential to reduce pain and anxiety and increase the feeling of well being. They actually cause an increase in your levels of dopamine ( you feel this when in love or when achieving sexual gratification).

Hmmmm, Maybe that’s why base jumpers do it?

There was an artisit/photographer who believed there was psychological science behind the jump. In a jump the subject, in a sudden burst of energy, overcomes gravity. He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls. The real self becomes visible. One has only to snap it with the camera.

The Laurence Miller Gallery in Manhattan currently has an exhibit of Phillippe Halsman’s photography of “Jumpology”. He was the first to capture the joys of jumping as a tribute to both psychology and art.