Our thoughts and feelings can trigger hormonal secretions and activity in the nervous system, sometimes with immunological consequences, as is frequently seen in highly stressful situations.
- What are the repercussions of stress in daily life? How does stress affect memory? What are the negative effects on sexuality? Does stress speed up the ageing process?
- Which diseases are stress-related? Should powerful emotions be apprehended? Can one die of fear? What is now known about auto-immune diseases? Is stress an aggravating factor in cases of rheumatism? What role does stress play in the outcome of cancer?
- What are the best responses? How does relaxation function? What are the effects of nutrition? Why does laughter increase the number of antibodies? How can one explain the fact that meditation sometimes has a medicinal effect?

A professor of physiology at the Catholic University of Lyons, Louis Perrin is also a physician specialising in asthma at the hospital for cardiovascular diseases and pneumology. He is an Emeritus Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a member of the New York Academy of Sciences.