Have you ever wondered why you can’t tickle yourself? Do you hate being tickled? Well, an expert in molecular biology and genetics has the answers.
There are thousands of nerve endings under your skin, and when a person’s touch stimulates these, the nerves send a message to your brain. The effect of a light tickling touch is the result of analysis by two different regions of your brain.
2 cortexes create the sensation of being tickled
The somatosensory cortex evaluates the pressure associated with touch, and the anterior cingulate cortex then sends out pleasant feelings. When these two cortexes are combined, they create the sensation of being tickled. However, it only works with a light touch.
Dr. Emily Grossman says that part of the reason we are ticklish is that we don’t know what it will feel like. Placing your hand on the tickler’s hand will send a signal to your brain to expect it; therefore, you should not feel the tickle sensation.
In this video, Dr. Emily Grossman explains how your brain anticipates the movement of your hands, thus making it suppress the response to being tickled:
Grossman is a science presenter, educator, and expert in molecular biology and genetics with a Triple First in Natural Sciences from Queens College Cambridge, as well as a Ph.D. in cancer research.
I did try this technique, and for me, it seemed to work.
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