There are millions of tiny nerve endings beneath our skin. If these are lightly stimulated, by another person - say by a finger or a feather - it sends a message through your nervous system to your brain. Which can result in a ticklish sensation. Somatosensory cortex analyzes the touch and Anterior cingulated cortex analyzes pleasant feelings. When working together it creates a ticklish feeling and we can either giggle until we are breathless or get angry even grit our teeth. Yes - sometimes being tickled isn't always pleasurable. Most of us - love to be tickled.
The cerebellum at the back of the brain filters unnecessary governing movement. So trying to tickle ourselves, our brains block the sensation. It's called sensory attenuation. There are social aspects and advantages to tickling. But research has proven in order for humor to be associated with tickling, the person being tickled must already be in a good mood and willing to submit to the aggressor. Biologist and neuroscientists say there's actually nothing about being tickled that's funny or that should make us laugh. Most often the more ticklish the area, the more vulnerable that area is to injury. It's why we squirm and pull our arms close and kick to defend ourselves. We fight back and in truth, through tickling - one person is teaching the other how to defend themselves. Part of being tickled is giving yourself over to the aggressor.
We are also more ticklish in areas that aren't often touched by other's. So sometimes the nerve endings seem like they're on steroids when they're finally touched and then they become hypersensitive.
So why do some of us laugh until we can't breathe and others get so angry or some people don't seem to be ticklish at all ? Believe it or not, there's no scientific explanation for any of it. Evidently, it's thought to be a reflex action or reaction, even a knee-jerk reaction (literally) for some. The laughter (though outwardly appearing gleeful) is thought to be social anxiety and/or even nervous laughter. Tickling was once even considered a mild form of torture. (true story - there have been actual cases built on 'abusive tickling', where it created negative physiological effects, such as vomiting, rashes, and even losing consciousness).
There's so much research on the psychology behind tickling, laughing, physiology, it's socialization, etc... It's mystified doctors and scientists since the days of Plato and Socrates. That's how far back tickling can be found recorded in history. In 1872, scientist were searching for the origins of laughter in tickling - by tickling apes, chimps and monkeys of all kinds. The conclusion: laughter is instinctual human behavior. The primates exuded the same behavioral laughter - their laughter (though not the same as ours) was what's considered to be laughter and playfulness among primates, mirroring much of what we seen in human interaction.
Here's what I know. As a Mom, it's not just a weapon with my kids. In fact, I don't have to do much to get them giggling and in a playful mood. I can tell them I'm going to tickle them and laughter ensues. I can breathe near the napes of their necks while giving them a hug or lightly brush them with my fingertips and their arms start flailing and lashing about. Often, this is when a sibling might join in and hold the other down. Sometimes, it backfires and I end up getting tickled. It's one of the easiest ways to show someone I love and care about - that I love them - that I enjoy playing around and goofing off, it allows me to bond. I find quite often, even people that claim not to be ticklish may crack a smile for my tireless efforts. I think most people are receptive to being tickled.
Wait. There's more - and it gets interesting...
Some people are sexually excited by being tickled. People engage in tickling 'activities' or as part of couple bonding and foreplay. Knismolagnia. The arousal resulting from the experience of being tickled. (Hey!) Excessive tickling can be a primary sexual obsession and in some circumstances it is considered a form of paraphilia. Paraphilia's are people whose sexuality is based solely on tickling. (Fetishism) Paraphilia's can tend to have a tickling fixation and the fixation doesn't just exist within sexual context. "Tickling is a form of physical intimacy involving a highly sensual touching of the body of one person by another. Tickling also serves as a bonding experience between friends, and is an indication of familiarity and trust. Between adolescents, tickling often serves as an outlet for sexual energy, with erotic games, foreplay and sex being the primary methods of doing such." Some tickling games are reminiscent of other erotica, in terms of the show of dominance and submission and even require safe-words.
Quite a few women feel a tickling sensation just prior to having an orgasm. (not all of us, but most of us) Whether that's from someone else stimulating or because we are self-stimulating. Whatever you do - do NOT stop when the tickling starts - please, just keep going. Trust me. It won't always be a big bang at first, but for some women - orgasms only get bigger with each one we experience. (thus increasing the frequency is a healthy notion). Just keep going past the tickling and tingling sensations. (gently though - too much pressure or overstimulation creates numbness and/or soreness).
For my guys - I hear - most men, the tickling and tingling sensation is post orgasm??
Collectively, data shows that a little tickling can go a long way to leaving many of us breathless.
The cerebellum at the back of the brain filters unnecessary governing movement. So trying to tickle ourselves, our brains block the sensation. It's called sensory attenuation. There are social aspects and advantages to tickling. But research has proven in order for humor to be associated with tickling, the person being tickled must already be in a good mood and willing to submit to the aggressor. Biologist and neuroscientists say there's actually nothing about being tickled that's funny or that should make us laugh. Most often the more ticklish the area, the more vulnerable that area is to injury. It's why we squirm and pull our arms close and kick to defend ourselves. We fight back and in truth, through tickling - one person is teaching the other how to defend themselves. Part of being tickled is giving yourself over to the aggressor.
We are also more ticklish in areas that aren't often touched by other's. So sometimes the nerve endings seem like they're on steroids when they're finally touched and then they become hypersensitive.
So why do some of us laugh until we can't breathe and others get so angry or some people don't seem to be ticklish at all ? Believe it or not, there's no scientific explanation for any of it. Evidently, it's thought to be a reflex action or reaction, even a knee-jerk reaction (literally) for some. The laughter (though outwardly appearing gleeful) is thought to be social anxiety and/or even nervous laughter. Tickling was once even considered a mild form of torture. (true story - there have been actual cases built on 'abusive tickling', where it created negative physiological effects, such as vomiting, rashes, and even losing consciousness).
There's so much research on the psychology behind tickling, laughing, physiology, it's socialization, etc... It's mystified doctors and scientists since the days of Plato and Socrates. That's how far back tickling can be found recorded in history. In 1872, scientist were searching for the origins of laughter in tickling - by tickling apes, chimps and monkeys of all kinds. The conclusion: laughter is instinctual human behavior. The primates exuded the same behavioral laughter - their laughter (though not the same as ours) was what's considered to be laughter and playfulness among primates, mirroring much of what we seen in human interaction.
Here's what I know. As a Mom, it's not just a weapon with my kids. In fact, I don't have to do much to get them giggling and in a playful mood. I can tell them I'm going to tickle them and laughter ensues. I can breathe near the napes of their necks while giving them a hug or lightly brush them with my fingertips and their arms start flailing and lashing about. Often, this is when a sibling might join in and hold the other down. Sometimes, it backfires and I end up getting tickled. It's one of the easiest ways to show someone I love and care about - that I love them - that I enjoy playing around and goofing off, it allows me to bond. I find quite often, even people that claim not to be ticklish may crack a smile for my tireless efforts. I think most people are receptive to being tickled.
Wait. There's more - and it gets interesting...
Some people are sexually excited by being tickled. People engage in tickling 'activities' or as part of couple bonding and foreplay. Knismolagnia. The arousal resulting from the experience of being tickled. (Hey!) Excessive tickling can be a primary sexual obsession and in some circumstances it is considered a form of paraphilia. Paraphilia's are people whose sexuality is based solely on tickling. (Fetishism) Paraphilia's can tend to have a tickling fixation and the fixation doesn't just exist within sexual context. "Tickling is a form of physical intimacy involving a highly sensual touching of the body of one person by another. Tickling also serves as a bonding experience between friends, and is an indication of familiarity and trust. Between adolescents, tickling often serves as an outlet for sexual energy, with erotic games, foreplay and sex being the primary methods of doing such." Some tickling games are reminiscent of other erotica, in terms of the show of dominance and submission and even require safe-words.
Quite a few women feel a tickling sensation just prior to having an orgasm. (not all of us, but most of us) Whether that's from someone else stimulating or because we are self-stimulating. Whatever you do - do NOT stop when the tickling starts - please, just keep going. Trust me. It won't always be a big bang at first, but for some women - orgasms only get bigger with each one we experience. (thus increasing the frequency is a healthy notion). Just keep going past the tickling and tingling sensations. (gently though - too much pressure or overstimulation creates numbness and/or soreness).
For my guys - I hear - most men, the tickling and tingling sensation is post orgasm??
Collectively, data shows that a little tickling can go a long way to leaving many of us breathless.
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