Elham Shaafi Kabiri: Mind-Body Interaction

Mind- body interaction
In serious health conditions, a physician and a patient both try to increase the chance of survival. When the physician is not very hopeful for patient’s life, Laugh Therapy can be another choice to consider. Norman Cousins’s Laugh Therapy is a good example of the interaction between mind and body. Although the chance of his survival was a 1 in 500, Norman used Laugh Therapy techniques besides conventional treatments to increase this chance. He was motivated to be positive and hopeful to live. His body reacted positively, and in a short period of time many symptoms faded away. Norman Cousins’s Laugh Therapy demonstrates the efficiency of positive thinking. There is scientific and anecdotal evidence which has proved the mind-body interaction.

A great deal of scientific evidence demonstrates a strong relationship between emotions and hormones. Firstly, the connection between emotions and hormones is noticeable in the body. Happiness and sadness produce different hormones. Positive attitude and emotions are beneficial as they produce Serotonin and Melatonin. On the other hand, emotional stress and negative attitudes harm health due to the fact that they produce Norepinephrine, which is clearly responsible for depression. In addition, hormones control the chemical reactions in the body; this fact shows every emotion finally affects the reaction; even the symptoms of an ailment are the results of some changes in normal body reactions. Laugh Therapy introduces different remedies to heal at least the symptoms of disease by positive changes. Hope, faith, laughter and confidence give one health. It also can be an alternative treatment, beside conventional one, for recovery. Not only laugh therapy but also any kind of positive thinking is a part of mind-body interaction and can be very effective on health.

Anecdotal evidence shows people have used mind-body interaction for many years. They have applied its techniques unconsciously. They may have followed beliefs. The results were noticeably positive, even for those who prefer home remedies and prayer instead of conventional treatments in majority of cases. The fact is that they feel better and positive when they do what they believe in. It helps them to recover more easily and faster. They concentrate on positive thinking of cure that gives them hope and confidence and enable them to improve their health conditions. Positive thinking has the most important role in unconventional treatments even Norman did the same thing as a remedy. Positive thinking and emotions helped Norman to improve his body chemistry that proves mind and body interaction.

Being positive, even after getting critically ill, was a key in Norman Cousins’s Laugh Therapy. Norman took advantage of modern studies about body chemistry, and finally he could save his life by applying Laugh Therapy methods. Many people before him recovered by positive thinking and emotions. They used positive attitudes as an alternative treatment, but they did it unconsciously. There are many scientific studies and articles that show health is completely affected by emotions and attitudes. For instance, people who are emotionally under pressure catch cold more easily and more often than others. The mind-body interaction has been used not only as a treatment but also as a prevention.