Intro:

Today I will talk about the positive effects laughter on our health-some physiological and
psychological aspects.
-We all have heard the saying : Laughter is the best medicine; You have unlimited refill, no
expiration date, you can take it as you please. Yes, all that but wait that's more.
-Have you heard about Gelotology ( the Greek gelos, means laughter) the study laughter and its
effects on the human body, from a psychological and physiological perspective.
William F. Fry of Stanford University coined the term of gelotology.
Body:
Laughter relax the body, boost the immune system, trigger the release of endorphins, relieves
stress and protects your heart.
A. Stimulate many organs: stimulates your brain, blood vessels, heart activity and muscles.
1. Brain: electroencephalography (EEG)=recording of electrical activity of the brain during
laughter. Within four-tenths of a second of exposure to something funny, an electrical wave
moved through the cerebral cortex, in a circuit that runs through many regions of the brain:-is
an activity that trains the brain, improving the problem solving skills.

left side of the cortex analyze of the words and structure of the joke.

frontal lobe- involved in social emotional responses- became very active.

right hemisphere of the cortex carried out the analysis required to understand the joke.

occipital lobe - process visual signals

Decrease tension and stress:
-Inhibited the release of stress hormones-cortisol, adrenaline resulting in
relaxing effect of the body, an increased immunity, a boost of immune
system and better arterial blood flow .
a.

Stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise
blood pressure.
When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, T-cells, which are a major part of the immune
response, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies

-Increase the production of the endorphins, natural painkillers, relieve

pain.
2. Stimulates muscles :laughter provides a full aerobic workout for your muscles
Sometimes, after a long laughter you feel exhausted. The reason is that laughing involve a lot of
muscles : diaphragm and abdominal muscles, respiratory muscles, ,facial muscles, even your
back muscles leg muscles-aerobic workout- laughing 100 times is equal to 15 minutes on an exercise bike.
3. Increase blood flow to internal organs. Is like a massage to the internal organs and helps the
heart. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have
shown that laughter is linked to healthy function of blood vessels. Laughter appears to cause the
tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate in order to
increase blood flow.

According to the Mayo Clinic research, laughter has a benefic effect on our health :physical and
psychological changes in your mind and body.

C. Psychological effect-long term effect

1. Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult
situations. It also helps you connect with other people.

2. Improve your mood can help lessen your depression and anxiety and make you feel
happier, especially in cases of chronic disesses.
D. Aplications-importance:
Laughter therapy is used as as complementary medicine
Since our bodies cannot distinguish between real and fake laughter, anything that makes you
giggle will have a positive effect. You do not need to be happy or have a sense of humour to
benefit from a good laugh.

Sources Cited:
1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-relief/SR00034
2. http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/therapeutic-laughter.html#ixzz3DtENWkSV
3.Laughter Helps Blood Vessels | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/newsand-events/news-releases/2005/school-of-medicine-study-shows-laughter-helps-blood-vesselsfunction-better#ixzz3E5jEcUtD

What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine
or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular
blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your The psychological benefits of humor are
quite amazing, according to doctors and nurses who are members of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. People often store
negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be
harmlessly released. Laughter is cathartic. That's why some people who are upset or stressed out go to a funny movie or a comedy club, so
they can laugh the negative emotions away (these negative emotions, when held inside, can cause biochemical changes that can affect our
bodies).
Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh -- openly -- at things that
aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Following the lead of real-life funny-doc Patch Adams (portrayed by
Robin Williams in a movie by the same name), doctors and psychiatrists are becoming more aware of the therapeutic benefits of laughter
and humor. This is due, in part, to the growing body of humor and laughter scholarship (500 academicians from different disciplines belong to
the International Society for Humor Studies).
Here are some tips to help you put more laughter in your life:

Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.

Surround yourself with funny people -- be with them every chance you get.

Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic -- or at least a better joke-teller at
that next party. Be funny every chance you get -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense!
For more information, check out the links on the next page.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Background
Inspired by Norman Cousins' book Anatomy of an Illness and the research by Dr. Lee Berk on
the benefits of laughter

Benefits
The following benefits of laughter were identified in research conducted by Dr. Lee Berk at
Loma Linda University. 1

reduced levels of stress hormones, through decreased levels of cortisol and adrenaline
increased endorphins to fight pain and depression
improvement in the bodys immune system, possibly by increasing the bodys secretion of growth
hormones
increased beta endorphin blood levels, also known as the bodys morphine
laughing is aerobic, increasing the body's ability to use oxygen.
effects lasts between 12 and 24 hours after the laughter event

The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict.
Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system,
boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless
medicine is fun, free, and easy to use

Laughter is good for your health

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles

relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and

infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the bodys natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an

overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can

help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The Benefits of Laughter

Physical Health Benefits:

Boosts immunity

Lowers stress
hormones

Mental Health Benefits:

Adds joy and zest

Social Benefits:

to life

Eases anxiety and

1 www.laughteryogaamerica.com Laughter Research

Strengthens
relationships

Attracts others to

The Benefits of Laughter

Decreases pain

Relaxes your
muscles

Prevents heart

fear

us

Relieves stress

Enhances teamwork

Improves mood

Helps defuse

Enhances resilience

disease

conflict

Promotes group
bonding

Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy

Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter
subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and
hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laughor even simply a smilecan go a long way toward making you feel better. And
laughter really is contagiousjust hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun.

The link between laughter and mental health

Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You cant feel anxious, angry, or sad when youre laughing.

Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and
accomplish more.

Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous
perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The social benefits of humor and laughter

Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection.
When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and
disappointment.

Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone

Creating opportunities to laugh

Watch a funny movie or TV show.

Go to a comedy club.

Read the funny pages.

Seek out funny people.

Share a good joke or a funny story.

Check out your bookstores humor section.

Host game night with friends.

Play with a pet.

Go to a laughter yoga class.

Goof around with children.

Do something silly.

Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).

Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong
and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play also adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and
effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.
Incorporating more humor and play into your daily interactions can improve the quality of your love relationships as well as your
connections with co-workers, family members, and friends. Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:

Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.

Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.

Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.

Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.

Bringing more humor and laughter into your life

Want more laughter in your life? Get a pet

Most of us have experienced the joy of playing with a furry friend, and pets are a rewarding way to bring more laughter and joy into
your life. But did you know that having a pet is good for your mental and physical health? Studies show that pets can protect you
depression, stress, and even heart disease.
Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and
laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you
can learn to laugh at any stage of life.
Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there.
Eventually, youll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.
Here are some ways to start:

Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, its contagious. Pioneers in laugh therapy, find its possible

to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see
something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance

you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When youre in a state of sadness, you have further
to travel to get to humor and laughter.
When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a

small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an
opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, Whats
funny?
Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easilyboth at themselves and at lifes

absurditiesand who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, Whats the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In

your life?

Developing your sense of humor: Take yourself less seriously

One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. Weve all known the classic tight-jawed
sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!
Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life dont carry an overwhelming sense of either
sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary lifegiving you the choice to laugh or not.

Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life:

Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about

times when you took yourself too seriously.

Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover

the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in

your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having
fun.

Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your controlparticularly the behavior of other people.
While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run its unrealistic,
unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.

Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.

Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Checklist for lightening up

When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these questions:

Is it really worth getting upset over?

Is it worth upsetting others?

Is it that important?

Is it that bad?

Is the situation irreparable?

Is it really your problem?

Using humor and play to overcome challenges and enhance your life
The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect
with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of
their relationships.
Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you become the
problem and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the
problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.
Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a
game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways
helps you retain this creative ability.
Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play:
Roy, a semi-retired businessman, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf, his favorite sport. But the more he played, the
less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Roy wisely
realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously. When he
played with friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as
enjoyable as Roy hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his
companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.
Jane worked at home designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt had become routine. Two little girls who loved
to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Jane invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just
watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, coloring, and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Janes life. Not only did
playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it
rekindled the playfulness and spark in Janes relationship with her husband.
As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with
friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view
the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.
http://www.cancercenter.com/treatments/laughter-therapy/Over the years, researchers have conducted studies to explore the

impact of laughter on health. After evaluating participants before and after a humorous event (i.e., a comedy video), studies have
revealed that episodes of laughter helped to reduce pain, decrease stress-related hormones and boost the immune system in
participants.
Today more than ever before, people are turning to humor for therapy and healing. Medical journals have acknowledged that
laughter therapy can help improve quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses. Many hospitals now offer laughter therapy
programs as a complementary treatment to illness. illness, Cousins claims to have cured himself with a self-invented regimen of

laughter and vitamins. In his 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness, Cousins describes how watching comedic movies helped him
recover. According to some studies, laughter therapy may provide physical benefits, such as helping to:

Boost the immune system and circulatory system

Enhance oxygen intake

Stimulate the heart and lungs

Relax muscles throughout the body

Trigger the release of endorphins (the bodys natural painkillers)

Ease digestion/soothes stomach aches

Relieve pain

Balance blood pressure

Improve mental functions (i.e., alertness, memory, creativity)

Laughter therapy may also help to:

Improve overall attitude

Reduce stress/tension

Promote relaxation

Improve sleep

Enhance quality of life

Strengthen social bonds and relationships

Produce a general sense of well-being

Laughter therapy at CTCA

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we fight cancer using an integrative approach. Our Mind-Body Medicine
Department offers supportive options, including laughter therapy, to help you cope as you receive conventional cancer treatments.
Laughter therapy strives to help you use and enjoy laughter as a tool for healing. Dr. Katherine Puckett, National Director of
Mind-Body Medicine at CTCA, first introduced laughter therapy to Midwestern Regional Medical Center upon a patient's request.
CTCA offers humor therapy sessions, also known as Laughter Clubs or humor groups, to help cancer patients and their families use
and enjoy laughter as a tool for healing. These leader-led groups take patients through a number of laugh-related exercises
including fake laughter and laughter greetings.
Laughter Club is based not on humor or jokes, but rather on laughter as a physical exercise. One group laughter exercise involves
patients standing in a circle, with the leader in the middle. Patients put their fingertips on their cheekbones, chest or lower abdomen
and make ha ha or hee hee sounds until they felt vibrations through their bodies. Dr. Puckett says during these exercises, it is
hard for people not to join in because laughter is so contagious.

According to Dr. Puckett, at the end of a laughter therapy session, patients have said things like "I didn't even think about cancer
during Laughter Club" and "That felt great! Things have been so hard that we hadn't laughed in months." Dr. Puckett adds that, just
recently, the eight-year-old daughter of a CTCA patient who attended Laughter Club said afterwards: "I never thought about laughing
everyday, but now I realize I can. Like even when I don't feel happy, I can still laugh and feel better."

One of the best feelings in the world is the deep-rooted belly laugh. It can bring people together and establish amazing
connections. Everything from a slight giggle to a side-splitting guffaw can change the temperature of a room from chilly
unfamiliarity to a warm family-like atmosphere.
There is so much to love about laughter that it seems greedy to look for more, but thats exactly what researchers Dr. Lee
Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at the Loma Linda University in California have done. These two doctors have researched the
benefits of laughter and found amazing results. Get ready to get your giggle on!

1. Laughing lowers blood pressure

People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of strokes and heart
attacks. So grab the Sunday paper, flip to the funny pages and enjoy your laughter medicine.

2. Reduces stress hormone levels

You benefit from reducing the level of stress hormones your body produces because hormone-level reduction
simultaneously cuts the anxiety and stress impacting your body. Additionally, the reduction of stress hormones in your
body may result in higher immune system performance. Just think: Laughing along as a co-worker tells a funny joke can
relieve some of the day's stress and help you reap the health benefits of laughter.

3. Fun ab workout
One of the benefits of laughter is that it can help you tone your abs. When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach
expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs. Meanwhile, the muscles you are not using to
laugh are getting an opportunity to relax. Add laughter to your ab routine and make getting a toned tummy more
enjoyable.

4. Improves cardiac health

Laughter is a great cardio workout, especially for those who are incapable of doing other physical activity due to injury or
illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns a similar amount of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace.
So, laugh your heart into health.

5. Boosts T cells
T cells are specialized immune system cells just waiting in your body for activation. When you laugh, you activate T cells
that immediately begin to help you fight off sickness. Next time you feel a cold coming on, add chuckling to your illness
prevention plan.

6. Triggers the release of endorphins

Endorphins are the bodys natural pain killers. By laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic
pain and make you feel good all over.

7. Produces a general sense of well-being

Laughter can increase your overall sense of well-being. Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on
life tend to fight diseases better than people who tend to be more negative. So smile, laugh and live longer!

Rx Laughter: The health benefits

of comedy
May 22, 2000

By A.J.S. Rayl
With medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.
A Doctor In Your House.com
Can comedy actually help you heal?
The descendants of legendary comedians
Charlie Chaplin, Lou Costello, W.C. Fields,
Buster Keaton, and Harpo Marx grew up
W.C. Fields.
believing it does. Now, theyve joined forces
with an entertainment industry executive and a team of physicianresearchers who are seeking to prove scientifically that laughter often
truly is the best medicine.
Their five-year investigation - dubbed Rx Laughter - will measure the
impact of humor and laughter on pain and immune function in children.
The studys principal investigators - cancer researchers Dr. Margaret
Stuber, professor at UCLAs Neuropsychiatric Institute, and Dr. Lonnie
Zeltzer, director of the Pediatric Pain Program at UCLAs Mattell
Childrens Hospital - are the first to analyze the subject by examining
results from both healthy and sick children.
"We're not suggesting laughter will be a curative on its own," cautions
Stuber.
"But we are hypothesizing that something additional happens, something
more than a reduction in stress," adds Zeltzer.
This work will expand that of laughter therapy pioneer Norman Cousins
and the research he endowed at UCLA, as well as the basic science
studies of Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University School of Medicine,
reported here in February (A Doctor in Your House.com, Feb. 24). The
non-profit venture has been funded in part by a $75,000 grant from
Comedy Central, part of the cable networks Comedy Rx program
created to heighten awareness of the positive effects of laughter.

Sitcoms to science
While Rx Laughter is a scientific study, it was actually the brainstorm of
former ABC and CBS programming executive Sherry Dunay Hilber.
After spending 10 years overseeing such hit sitcoms as Home
Improvement,Roseanne, Coach, Whos The Boss?, and Cybill, Hilber
found herself at a point where she wanted to steer her talents into a
meaningful, lasting project. "I wanted more than looking at the ratings to
see how we did last night on a show."
Two years ago, she began acquiring rights to the classic comedies. "They
have held up, and theres gotta be a reason for that," says Hilber. "Also,
scientifically, its likely that many children havent seen these clips, so in
most cases well get pure responses."
Almost as soon as Hilber 'pitched' her concept to Drs. Stuber and
Zeltzer, the team was formed. Within weeks the Rx Laughter Advisory
Board enlisted Josephine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie Chaplin; Chris
Costello, daughter of Lou Costello of Abbott & Costello; Ron Fields,
grandson of W.C. Fields; and Bill Marx, son of Harpo Marx.
Echoing the sentiments of the others, Josephine Chaplin said: "My father
spent his life making people laugh, and anything that is positive like this
and that has to do with children and sick children in hospitals, you just
do whatever you can."
Health and humor
Rx Laughter is currently in the first phase of
selecting the material and defining the study
parameters. The second phase will test healthy
children to establish a "baseline comedy"
gauge. The third phase will test the impact of
laughter and humor on children with cancer,
HIV, and other disorders.

A Doctor in Your
House.com programs
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Comedy is a subjective art, yet the study will attempt to deliver some
objective results. For example:
Does it matter how much somebody laughs versus how funny they
think something is? Is the operative factor the physical act of laughter?

Or does the mental acknowledgement of something funny have the same

effect?
Does a simple chuckle exert a different kind of physiological impact
than a full-on belly laugh?
What are the differences, if any, across gender lines? Ethnicity lines?
Age groups?
Will a sick child respond physiologically the same as a healthy child?
In their quest for answers, the UCLA team will measure the direct
physiological responses of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the
central nervous system that regulates involuntary action. Initially, they
will take low-invasive measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, and
stress hormones.
They plan to extend the tests down the line, adding blood surveys to
investigate comedic impact on the immune system via additional
hormones, neurotransmitters, and natural killer cells. Theyll also look
into whether certain comedies work best for certain disorders or diseases
and which individuals respond to which types of humor. Preliminary
results will be available in two years, with definitive data due at the fiveyear mark.
Wit and wellness
Meanwhile, initial tests are already producing plenty of yuks, and
everyone seems to be betting that positive biologic responses will be
found.
"It was so wonderful to hear what was a quiet room, just the humming of
machines, turn into a roomful of laughter as a result of these clips we
brought that were done 50 years ago," said Costello, following a recent
tour of the childrens facilities at UCLA. "This is so needed."
Her father, Lou Costello, had a special connection with kids, and
frequently made visits to hospitals. "When he was laid up for a year with
rheumatic fever, he made a point of writing to every child he heard of
who was also bedridden," Costello recalls. "Children were one of his
passions. I could almost feel him walking through the halls with me

when I was at UCLA."

Even W.C. Fields, who cantankerously claimed publicly to hate kids
and dogs, would have approved, said grandson Ron. "Truth be told, hes
helping now the way he always wanted to help. He would love Rx
Laughter like nobodys business."
While the science gets under way, a 30-minute comedy health education
video, shot in six five-minute segments, is in the works. Written by
Fields, it will star an animated, young W.C., very hip and modern, but
with all the irreverence and wit, and inflection of the original.
The first video - which executive producer Hilber hopes will become a
series - will deal with the problems children confront when they have
cancer. Down the road, Hilber envisions an in-house comedy channel to
debut at the new UCLA hospital and spread to hospitals across the
country.
Lifesaving laughter
The descendants, meanwhile, remain convinced that comedy is a healthy
thing. While none of them became professional comedians - "How do
you follow acts like that?" asked Costello - they all inherited "a very
natural ability to laugh," as Chaplin put it, from their famously funny
forebears.
"You grow up with what you know," muses Bill Marx. "In my case, I
grew up with some wackos who taught me that when you have a sense
of humor, you automatically have an option in your view of life. Dad
always told me, A sense of humor is the only weapon youre born
with."
Directing that weapon at deadly disease is the ultimate aim. "Its clear to
me that people who are able to distance themselves and not get absorbed
in all the tension of the moment feel better," says Stuber. "We know
ones sense of humor changes brain chemistry. The goal now is find out
how exactly that can impact healing."
So dont be too surprised if in about five years youre doctor hands you
a prescription, then says: Take one dose of Chaplin, follow-up with an
Abbott & Costello, W.C. Fields, and a Buster Keaton, and top all of it off

with Marx Brothers. Then, call me in the morning

For more information: http://www.rxlaughter.org/.

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