The healing power of laughter

Everybody loves to have a good laugh, and many studies have shown that it is also excellent for your health. The classic incident that brought this into the public eye centred around Norman Cousins, a prominent American writer. In 1964 he became ill with a rare crippling disease, and the medical experts told him that he had virtually no chance for recovery. Cousins decided to develop his own healing program that included massive doses of Vitamin C and many hours of laughter each day. He collected a large selection of the funniest movies and television shows, which he watched to ease his pain. Cousins eventually had a complete recovery, and this has led to numerous experiments showing how laughter can heal the body. 
On the most simple level, laughter stimulates you to inhale more oxygen which makes your lungs and heart muscles work better. It also gives you a psychological boost which reduces anxiety and helps you to relax. One of the most important discoveries was that laughter increases the flow of the body’s “feel good” hormones - endorphins and dopamine. According to professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University: “Endorphins tune up the immune system, so triggering their release through laughter helps you recover from disease, and allows the body to resist infection. The pharmaceutical companies won't like it, but laughter could save a lot on hospital bills.”