With his strong beliefs in the power of human emotions and his dire prognosis, Cousins decided to take

his treatment into his own hands. He convinced his physicians to prescribe an intravenous dose of
vitamin C that was well above the normal therapeutic level, and, as an adjunct to this therapy, he
watched humorous movies and television shows to induce laughter as a consistent part of his
treatment. Mirthful laughter markedly reduced his pain and relieved stress. “10 minutes of laughter
gave me 2 hours of pain free sleep,” Cousins said, “laughter produced a natural body anesthesia.”
Cousins’ humor-induced treatment saved his life and allowed him to live and prosper for nearly 25
additional years. Cousins and his remarkable results are a testament to the positive psychophysiological
impact created by the emotions of humor and mirthful laughter and have been documented in a book
he authored, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient (15).