08/21/2013
I found this article which I thought interesting in the history of Laughter Therapy:
Therapeutic Use Of Humour Throughout History
Biblical Times: The benefits of humour makes an appearance in the Good Book itself: The Book Of Proverbs 17:22 states ‘A cheerful heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit makes one sick’.
14th Century: French surgeon Henri de Mondeville used humour therapy to aid recovery from surgery. He wrote "Let the surgeon take care to regulate the whole regimen of the patient's life for joy and happiness, allowing his relatives and special friends to cheer him and by having someone tell him jokes."
16th Century: Robert Burton, an English parson and scholar used humour as a cure for melancholy.
16th Century: Martin Luther used a form of humour therapy as part of his pastoral counselling of depressed people. He advised them not to isolate themselves but to surround themselves with friends who could joke and make them laugh.
17th Century: Herbert Spencer, sociologist used humour as a way to release excess tension.
18th Century: Immanuel Kant, Germany philosopher used humour to restore equilibrium.
18th Century: English physician William Battie used humour in treatment of the sick.
20th Century: Modern humour therapy dates from the 1930s, when clowns were brought into U.S. hospitals to cheer up children hospitalised with polio.
20th Century - 1972: The Gesundheit Institute is founded by U.S. Doctor Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams: this is a home-based free hospital ‘to bring fun, friendship, and the joy of service back into health care’.
20th Century - 1979: Norman Cousins publishes his book ‘Anatomy of an Illness’ based on his own experiences: he had been suffering from ankylosing spondylitis and decided to use his own brand of ‘humour therapy’ by watching episodes of the television show ‘Candid Camera’ and Marx Brothers films. He claimed that ten minutes of laughter could give him two hours of pain relief.
20th Century - 1998: Renewed interest in the uses of humour as therapy thanks to the release of the film ‘Patch Adams’ starring Robin Williams and based on the real Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams.
