The official blog of The Daily.

Download the app for the full interactive experience.

Armed with new research that shows laughter is powerful medicine, hospitals around the world are sending in the clowns — and seeing remarkable results with their patients. The co-founder of the Medical Clown Project in Alameda, Calif., Raz, 45, has trained a staff of seven professional clowns on how to tailor their routines for hospitals, where they employ laughter not only as a diversion from illness, but as a way to treat it. “I expected a fair amount of skepticism from hospitals about what we were doing, but that has not at all been what we’ve found,” Raz told The Daily. “Ninety percent of the hospitals we talk to are hugely excited… There’s been tons of research on the health benefits of laughter, but it’s amazing how it is still ignored as a form of treatment,” Sherman said. 

Armed with new research that shows laughter is powerful medicine, hospitals around the world are sending in the clowns — and seeing remarkable results with their patients.

The co-founder of the Medical Clown Project in Alameda, Calif., Raz, 45, has trained a staff of seven professional clowns on how to tailor their routines for hospitals, where they employ laughter not only as a diversion from illness, but as a way to treat it.

“I expected a fair amount of skepticism from hospitals about what we were doing, but that has not at all been what we’ve found,” Raz told The Daily. “Ninety percent of the hospitals we talk to are hugely excited… There’s been tons of research on the health benefits of laughter, but it’s amazing how it is still ignored as a form of treatment,” Sherman said. 

39 Notes

  1. wardahhhzkayyy reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  2. thedifferentd reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  3. peacefulhuman said: Wonderful, God bless them,
  4. rosemarymonday reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  5. the-courtney-channel reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  6. aliceenwonderland reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  7. aslamahijabs reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  8. canwetango reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  9. roses-in-theattic reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  10. belindathegypsy reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  11. helms-deep reblogged this from thedailyfeed and added:
    No. Clowns freak me the heck out. Just…no.
  12. shipwreckedinsc reblogged this from thedailyfeed and added:
    hospitals around the world are sending in the clowns…
  13. goldenappleorchard reblogged this from thedailyfeed and added:
    Even from my perspective which includes no medical or psychological training, this makes a lot of sense. How can you...
  14. suncrown reblogged this from thedailyfeed and added:
    Wonderful news
  15. smilingmonkeys reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  16. following7 reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  17. shamyam reblogged this from thedailyfeed
  18. thedailyfeed posted this