Laughter is good medicine,
Research on 'laughter therapy' did not begin until after the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Norman Cousins in 1976. In 1979, he wrote, 'Anatomy of an Illness.' Cousins explained how he was diagnosed in 1964 with ankylosing spondylitis (also known as spondylitis, AS, or Bechterew Disease). The disease usually results in acute inflammation of the spine and can affect other areas of the body as well. Norman Cousins' case was so severe that he was given a one in five hundred chance of recovery and a few months to live.

He knew laughter could help to heal and understood the power of negative thoughts in creating pain and fueling disease. He reasoned that positive thoughts and attitudes could have a healing effect. So he left the hospital and checked into a hotel where he took mega doses of vitamin C and watched humorous movies and shows, including 'Candid Camera' and the Marx Brothers. He found that ten minutes of hardy laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. His laughter was heard by others in the hotel for days on end. He discovered the healing power of laughter. You can read about it in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.

Read more about how he did it and other research here
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/05/08/laughter.health.wmd/index.html

Be sure to check out the penguin hypnotists!