Wasn't something written a few years ago about humor and laughing being good for you?
There have been several very serious studies regarding humor and its positive effects on overall mental and physical health.
Perhaps the famous book written by Norman Cousins is the one to which you refer. This was his own story about having a serious and possibly terminal disease. He decided to treat himself by watching episodes of "Candid Camera" and allowing himself to laugh over and over again. It was his contention that this contributed to his recovery.
In psychology, there have been numerous studies suggesting the same thing. Humor allows us to process the painful and the ridiculous with less angst and more joy. It allows us emotionally to metabolize stressful incidents and concerns. If we do not see things as truly ridiculous, the absurd will cause a sense of sadness, dismay, and impotence.
Sometimes we laugh at material which is distressing, even dangerous. For example, the current program "America's Funniest Home Videos" often shows people who probably wind up in the hospital from injuries. Yet we laugh at their plight.
Freud felt this was a kind of sublimated sadism. Maybe he was onto something, but clearly humor and laughter help us deal with dangerous situations.
It is my contention that humor plays a significant role in psychotherapy. Learning to take life less seriously is very important. Laughing at oneself helps put behavior into perspective. Families also benefit from laughter. Helpful and non-injurious teasing, for example, is often a part of family based humor. It helps us face our foibles.
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Dr. Larry Larsen is an Andover psychologist. If you would like to ask a question or respond to one, e-mail him at llrryllrsn@CS.com
