ABSTRACT
Good jokes that are funny to many people and have surprising insights that “ring true” are retold, and survive over time, just like enduring folktales. A joke about doctors is the topic of this chapter and it dramatizes how different medical specialties today use the same basic comprehension modes that appear in ancient stories. The parallels between modern high-tech medicine and time-tested folktales are striking and highlights comprehension modes are independent of culture. The joke also helps explain how my years in medical school and residency opened my eyes to multiple ways of understanding the world, including scientific research, fairytales, mystical experiences and altered consciousness.
