Norman Cousins Anatomy Of An IllnessDr Norman Cousins, writer of "Norman Cousins Beefcake Of An Illness" was a longtime editor of the Sat Review, global peacemaker, receiver of hundreds of awards including the UN Peace Medal and near 50 honorary doctorate degrees.

In 1964 post-obit a very stressful trip to Russia, he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (a degenerative disease causing the breakup of collagen), which left him in almost constant pain and motivated his md to say he would die within a few months. He disagreed and reasoned that if stress had somehow contributed to his disease (he was non sick before the trip to Russia), and then positive emotions should help him feel better. With his doctors' consent, he checked himself out of the hospital and into a hotel across the street and began taking extremely high doses of vitamin C while exposing himself to a continuous stream of humorous films and similar "laughing matter". He later claimed that 10 minutes of belly rippling laughter would requite him 2 hours of hurting-free sleep, when nothing else, not even morphine could assistance him.

1 minute testimonial:
11 minute movie summary:


His condition steadily improved and he slowly regained the use of his limbs. Within 6 months he was back on his feet, and inside two years he was able to return to his full-fourth dimension task at the Sat Review. His story baffled the scientific community and inspired a number of research projects.

Click here to read the essence of his bulletin in the transcription of a radio interview he gave in 1983 on the touch of positive emotions on health.

His 1979 book An Beefcake Of An Illness is a classic. (Read it for gratis here.)

Here is the (full) movie version of it:

Famous Quotes

  • The greatest force in the human being body is the natural drive of the body to heal itself – only that strength is non independent of the belief system. What we believe is the near powerful option of all.The control center of your life is your attitude.
  • On the quality of life: #1. Realize that each human has a built-in capacity for recuperation and repair, #2. Recognize that the quality of life is all important. #3. Assume responsibility for the quality of your ain life. #4 Nurture the regenerative and restorative forces within you #v. Utilise laughter to create a mood in which the other positive emotions tin be put to piece of work for yourself and those around you. #half dozen. Develop conviction and power to feel love, promise and faith, and acquire a strong will to live.
  • The principal trouble with despair is that information technology is cocky-fulfilling. People who fright the worst tend to invite it. Heads that bare down, tin can't scan the horizon for new openings. Bursts of energy do non spring from a spirit of defeat. Ultimately, helplessness leads to hopefulness.
  • Each person carries his own inner dr. inside.
  • The growth of the human mind is yet a high adventure. In many ways the highest adventure on globe.
  • The chapters for promise is the nearly meaning fact of life. It provides man beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.

Documentary: The Inner Healer

…and hither is a 25 minutes documentary on the healing ability of faith and positive emotions that features Norman Cousins:

Related links

  • Life Saving Benefits Of Laughter Everybody Should Know Most
  • Laughing exercise: If you lot love to laugh y'all'll love this how to guide!

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