The nature of tickling: the basic theory



For some tickling comparable pain, but for others - the whole pleasure and bliss, but what is this strange phenomenon in itself?

There are two main versions of the origin of the tickling:

The main and most recognized hypothesis is that tickling is a defensive reaction of the body (skin) to external stimuli: animals and small insects. Ancient people lived for the most part without clothes, but nonetheless knew how dangerous can be cause to not have a beetle or a snake, so he has gradually developed a protective reflex that is handed to us, not disappeared during the evolution.

The human nervous system still recognizes the wrong touch in the hidden parts of the body as something hostile, but as the rational component of the brain-it makes you realize that in these touch nothing hostile, the human body bursts out in laughter, sometimes throwing out a small amount of endorphins.

Laughter from being tickled is a nervous, not quite easily explained from the point of view of science: laughter from being tickled is not called a ridiculous situation, heard a joke, or something like that- it arises simply on the basis of a protective reflex of the body.

The theory that tickling is a protective reflex which helped to explain why people can't tickle himself: the human brain understands that the human body can not cause harm to themselves, and thus the whole effect of tickling is reduced to nothing.


Second, almost not a recognized version of the origin of the tickling is the hypothesis that during evolution of the human nervous system, it (the nervous system) found a "border" zone between the two main types of exposure: pain and tenderness. This border area is called tickling.

Scientific confirmation of this theory has not.

Dakota not to laugh



For many people, tickling is just a way to laugh, to bond with the person or just to have some fun.

To the Nazi camps, the tickling was a great form of torture: people are completely tied up, dipped their feet in the salt water, and then forced the goats to lick that salty water, after a minute or two began to be painful. The large spread of such torture is not received because worked mostly on the mental condition of the person, not the physical, but its existence is confirmed.

From the point of view of science, dying of laughter is possible, but to die of laughter caused by tickling, is impossible, because the human body has the ability to control the receptors of his body, that is, eventually "block" the effect of tickling.


Spread the tickling got not only executioners, but also the lovers of sexual pleasures and sexual diversity. So, tickling is one of the most popular fetishes. Also some people may get excited at the sight of people tickling each other.

To explain this just a fetish - during the tingling, if it does not bear the purpose to cause pain in the human body begins to produce endorphins and release of dopamine, which contribute to a better sexual arousal.