Laughter--and Stress Relief from Jo-Ann Rapaport

In the 1970’s, Norman Cousins was diagnosed with a dreadful disease for which there was limited treatment and a poor prognosis.  He and his doctor infused his treatment with doses of The Marx Brothers and Three Stooges movies and other comedies and discovered the healing potential of laughter. A new category of treatment was launched with his book Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient and his subsequent research at UCLA into the biochemistry of human emotions, confirmed their relationship to healing.  His book has been republished as an e-book by his daughter, Sarah Cousins Shapiro, and is available from Amazon for Kindles and in Hardcover.

 Click here for a piece on stress relief from a Mayo Clinic publication, which says: Stress relief from laughter?  It’s no joke.  When it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. Here’s why.