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A French joke: A man tells his friend about a dinner party he had at his house the night before. "I made a real Freudian slip," he says. "I meant to tell my mother-in-law to pass the butter, and instead I said, "You silly cow, you ruined my life!"

You've probably heard countless warnings about the dangers of negative emotions. Stress, anger, and depression can sap your immune system, encourage heart trouble, and slow your recovery from almost any illness. But how often do you hear the positive side of the story? Research consistently shows that positive emotions, including love, humor, and hope, may help your body fend off disease. As Bernie Siegel, M.D., wrote in his book Peace, Love and Healing, "Feelings are chemical; they can kill or cure."

Norman Cousins, an editor of the Saturday Review, didn't feel particularly mirthful when he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a crippling form of arthritis. But as he described in his 1979 book The Anatomy of an Illness, humor was definitely part of his recovery plan. Soon after the diagnosis, Cousins vowed to tackle his disease with confidence and laughter. He set up a movie projector in his hospital room and frequently watched Marx Brothers movies and classic episodes of "Candid Camera." (On the downside, his constant laughter bothered some of the neighboring patients.) In between reels, he stayed upbeat and relaxed. Over a period of months, he regained motion in his joints and felt the pain disappear. He eventually made a nearly full recovery from his "incurable" disease. Cousins went on to help establish a department at the University of California at Los Angeles medical school that investigates the connection between illness and the mind.

How does humor foster healing? One clue came from a 1988 study at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Researchers found that people who watched a funny 60-minute video experienced a significant drop in so-called stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Scientists say these hormones can contribute to a wide range of stress-related illnesses including depression and heart disease. Other studies suggest regular doses of humor and laughter can enhance breathing and circulation and even stimulate T-cells, the vanguard of the immune system.

Humor may also ease pain. Laughter can unleash a flood of natural painkillers called endorphins, and a good joke helps the mind focus on something besides pain. The effects might be dramatic: Cousins found that 10 minutes of belly laughs while watching Groucho gave him an extra two hours of pain-free sleep.

Following Cousins's cue, researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel confirmed that laughter can help block pain. The researchers showed one of three films to 200 subjects: a comedy (no word on whether Groucho or Allen Funt was involved), a decidedly unfunny Holocaust film, and a dry documentary on alligators. Immediately after watching the movies, the subjects dipped their arms in ice-cold water until they could no longer stand the pain. Those who saw the comedy held their arms in the water for 49 seconds, about 12 seconds longer than those who saw one of the other films.

The difference was actually slightly greater half an hour after the films. Those who'd seen the rib tickler were able to withstand the pain for 51 seconds, about 17 seconds longer than the other groups and 11 seconds longer than a group that saw no movie at all.

Humor may be healthy, but that doesn't mean you should brush aside grief and sadness. It's natural to cry at the discovery of a serious disease or the loss of a loved one. In fact, there's some evidence that brief periods of sorrow -- besides helping you express your emotions -- stimulate the immune system. But when these feelings become a way of life or give way to depression, any health benefits quickly fade.

Norman Cousins's story, and many others like it, make it seem as if the brain can conquer anything. These accounts have even made some ill patients feel guilty that they didn't use their minds to stay healthy. But some illnesses are so severe that no thoughts or emotions -- or shots or surgeries -- can restore health. Keep an open mind and an optimistic attitude, but beware of people who promise complete cures through "positive thinking." On the other hand, remember: A cure may be beyond your reach, but a joyful mind isn't.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

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Last updated April 28, 2009
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