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waseem
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Topic initiated on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 7:41 AM 
Laughter- A Medicine
The idea that laughter can be therapeutic certainly isn't new.The Bible says
"a merry heart doeth good like a medicine".
Norman Cousin's in 1979 wrote a best seller, Anatomy of an illness. Cousins, who became a professor of medical humanities at the university of California, battled the pain crippling arthritic disease ankylosing spondylitis.Faced with a poor prognosis, he ditched his drug regimen in favour of large doses of vitamin C and even larger doses of humour. He had a film projector moved into his hospital room, where he'd watch Candid Camera episodes and Marx brothers films. A nurse read him humour books.
"I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me atleast two hours of pain-free sleep," Cousins wrote.
Gradually, the pain went away, he became more mobile and he did what doctors didn't expect:he got better.
Following in Cousins footsteps psychologist Robert Holden set up Britain's first NHS -funded Laughter -clinic in Oxford in 1991.Today he runs the London-based Happiness Project, organising workshops around the country on positive psychology and personal happiness.A commited believer that humour is medicinal, he says ,"Laughter has a two-step action on the body:one, it stimulates, two, it relaxses and calms us.It helps us let go of physical and mental tensions."
Medical research studies from University of Texas revealed that subjects who scored high on a happiness questionaire had a much lower risk of stroke then their more despondent couterparts.The happier they were , the more protective the effect.
Japanese researchers announced that a little laughter helps patients with type 2 diabetes.,They had less of a spike in post meal blood sugar levels after watching Japanese comedy show.
Another Japanese study suggests that comedy might give anti-allergy drug clarityn a run for their money.Patients allergic to dust mites and other common irritants saw their skin welts temporarily shrink after watching Charlie Chaplin's comedy classic Modern Times.
Being able to laugh at yourself-or atleast being able to see humour in difficult situations-may help your heart too.Cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Centre believe that laughter may be a buffer against heart attacks.The investigators found that people with heart disease were 40 % less likely to see the humour in life's every day absurdities than were people the same age with healthy hearts.
In one year study involving two groups of heart attack patients in cardiac rehabilitation programme, the group that got to watch a half hour sitcom daily boasted lower blood pressure, took lower doses of beta blockers, had fewer episodes of abnormal heart beats and fewer subsequent heart attacks.
The scientific evidence that laughter increases pain tolerance and eases stress symptoms is long established and convincing. It is thought that humour helps body's natural pain control system at the level of neurotransmitters, like endorphins and other chemicals.
kind regards
Waseem |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Posted - Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 11:11 AM 
thnx v. much for this useful info.
we know that the beloved prophet sws was the most smiling person which negates today's concept of keeping a typical seriousness/hardness on face, communication and general attitude by people presenting Islam and Islamic scholars.
may Allah help us observe the fine balance in this regard |
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atifrafi
PAKISTAN
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Posted - Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 2:10 PM
The people who keep a typical seriousness on face provides some Hadith to prove that Islam discourages laughter. Can you please explain those ahadith.
Thanks. |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Posted - Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 10:14 PM
Many thanks for your posting dear Atif
As I mentioned
'May Allah help us observe this fine balance' i.e. between laughter and seriousness.
You must be referring to the saying of the beloved Muhammad sws where he has adviced to remember more of death and lessen laughter. This points to the state of nonseriousness all the time which obviously would be a hirdle in the way of serious attitude towards life, teachings of the deen and the Hereafter.
But this does not give us a reason to remain 'liay deay' in our day to day dealings, calling it being 'reserved'  ; again, putting it down to a quality of taqwa.
We can see that Muhammad sws was very friendly and a radiantly smiling and easily approachable person. Despite this who can deny the seriousness of his magical personality in the matters of belief and struggle for the Hereafter while guiding the humanity to salvation . 
wassalaam |
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surgeonakhlaq
PAKISTAN
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Posted - Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 7:26 PM
Assalamu’alaikum,
Like monitor of the computer, face is monitor of the body. Very important clinical signs can be noted by having just a look on the face. Laughter is involuntary and is one of the facial expressions showing internal state of satisfaction or happiness only if it is within the psychological limits (norms) otherwise it is due to some other causes like for example, psychotic disorders. If these conditions (psychoses) are excluded then it is an exaggerated laughter and Allah Almighty dislikes those who cross the limits. The internal satisfaction, in any situation, can only be achieved by strong belief in Allah Almighty, remembering Him every time, attributing all the wills to His will and helping attitude to His creatures. This will lead to a true laughter, which is a powerful preventive measure of physical, mental as well as spiritual disorders. May Allah facilitate us to do so? Amen!
Allah Hafiz!
Dr. Akhlaq |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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 Posted - Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 8:02 PM
agreed 
so really all comes to balance finally
isn't it?
though hard to achieve but can be with some struggle insh'Allah
and as i said we need these smiles while learning so much from our course studies on this line  and as we pull up our socks to study the courses on Qura'n during Ramadan
assalamualaykum |
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shehla
PAKISTAN
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Posted - Friday, October 1, 2004 - 2:38 PM
| Text read your note on how important it is to laugh so I added a clean jokes website to my favourites and it helps a lot.Thanks! |
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shehla
PAKISTAN
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Posted - Friday, October 1, 2004 - 2:39 PM
| Text I read your note on how important it is to laugh so I added a clean jokes website to my favourites and it helps a lot.Thanks! |
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hkhan
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Saturday, October 2, 2004 - 9:35 AM
thank you Shehla
I'm pleased that you found this helpful
pls do send those to us as well
wassalaam/peace |
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shehla
PAKISTAN
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Posted - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 10:01 AM
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StudyingIslamUK
UNITED KINGDOM
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Posted - Tuesday, October 5, 2004 - 10:19 AM
thnx
But do post your selected joke to this forum so that our readers here can enjoy during their breaks from online course studies
May Lord reward you for your time dear Shehla
Peace |
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