Laughter In Norman Cousins 'Anatomy Of An Illness'

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1- ITS HEALING The writer of the proverbs 17:22 tells us that Laughter is a good medicine. It is healing. In The Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient, Norman Cousins tells of being hospitalized with a rare, crippling disease. When he was diagnosed as incurable, Cousins checked out of the hospital. Aware of the harmful effects that negative emotions can have on the body, Cousins reasoned the reverse was true. So he borrowed a movie projector and prescribed his own treatment, consisting of Marx Brothers films and old "Candid Camera" reruns. It didn't take long for him to discover that 10 minutes of laughter provided two hours of pain-free sleep. Amazingly, his debilitating disease was eventually reversed. After the account of …show more content…
It gets the heart beating faster, brings in extra oxygen and stimulates blood circulation. Your whole body relaxes and you feel better.
A good laugh can help us see life from a different perspective and face our problems with renewed concentration and hope. Healthy laughter helps us to feel better, get along with others

3- IT BUILDS TRUST WITH THE AUDIENCE. Philosopher John Morreall believes that the first human laughter may have begun as a gesture of shared relief at the passing of danger. And since the relaxation that results from a bout of laughter inhibits the biological fight-or-flight response, laughter may indicate trust in one's companions.

4- IT STRENGHENS HUMAN CONNECTIONS: Many researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. "Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter [there is], the more bonding [occurs] within the group," says cultural anthropologist Mahadev Apte. This feedback "loop" of bonding-laughter-more bonding, combined with the common desire not to be singled out from the group, may be another reason why laughter is often