---
name: yawn
slug: yawn
type: involuntary_process
status: unstable
version: 0.0.666-alpha
released: "before memory"
maintainer: "brainstem (unresponsive)"
dependencies:
  - boredom
  - [oxygen debt](/oxygen-debt) (disputed)
  - proximity_to_other_yawns
  - [the uncanny feeling you are being watched](/the-uncanny-feeling-you-are-being-watched)
license: BSD (Body Starts Doing whatever)
tags:
  - reflex
  - contagion
  - gaping
  - unknown_origin
  - haunted
---

yawn

What it actually is

An involuntary opening of the jaw that the body insists is necessary but cannot explain in court.

How it works

A trigger fires. The trigger is unknown. Researchers have proposed boredom, low blood oxygen, temperature regulation of the brain, and "just vibes." None of these fully compile.
The mouth opens. Wider than you intended. Wider than seems structurally justified.
The eardrums pop. The eyes water. The arms may rise unbidden like something is being summoned.
A sound escapes. You did not authorize the sound.
Closure. A brief exhale. The system returns to baseline as if nothing

WARNING: Step 5 does not always complete. Some yawns loop. This is a known issue.

Features

Contagion module: Reading the word "yawn" installs a yawn. Watching someone yawn installs a yawn. Empathy is the attack vector. Even thinking carefully about yawning installs
Cross-species support: Dogs yawn back at humans. Humans yawn at dogs. Something is being communicated. No one has cracked the protocol.
Temporal distortion: A yawn stretches time slightly. The four seconds of a yawn feel outside ordinary duration.
Social ambiguity: A yawn mid-conversation triggers the small death of realizing you're boring someone. Usually misattributed. Usually correctly attributed.

Known bugs

ERR_JAW_OVEREXTENSION        // mouth exceeds recommended arc; jaw locks
ERR_PUBLIC_YAWN_AUDIBLE      // sound level exceeded context threshold
ERR_YAWN_INFINITE_LOOP       // attempt to suppress yawn causes three more yawns
ERR_MIRROR_NEURON_FRENZY     // entire room yawning; origin process unidentifiable
ERR_YAWN_DURING_INTIMACY     // unrecoverable in most configurations
NULL_ORIGIN                  // no cause found; process ran anyway

Configuration

jaw_extension: auto        # do not override manually
sound_emission: suppressed # enforcement rate: 34%
tear_duct_response: enabled # not optional
arm_stretch: optional      # triggers without consent
contagion_radius: 6ft      # expands on video call

Edge cases

Yawning while yawning. This has happened. The documentation does not survive this.
Yawning in complete silence creates a specific intimacy that no one asked for.
Fetuses yawn in utero. There is nothing to be bored by yet. The boredom finds them anyway.

FAQ

Q: Why is yawning contagious? A: Current theory: mirror neurons. Subtext theory: the yawn is not yours and was never yours.

Q: Does suppressing a yawn cause harm? A: The yawn will collect interest and redeploy.

Q: Are yawns a sign of tiredness? A: Sometimes. Also: transition states, anxiety, the presence of a therapist, the ending of a meeting that ended ten minutes ago but is still occurring.

Changelog

0.0.1 : Deployed in early vertebrates. No mouth yet. Somehow still present.
0.4.0 : Social contagion module added. Reason: unknown.
0.0.666-alpha : Current build. Haunted. Shipping anyway.

drafting spec…