You will laugh, but a seemingly banal tickling mechanism is one big question for the scientific community. Currently, a lot of research has been done on the basis of which there are a number of explanations for the nature of this feeling, but none is still the main one. Can a person tickle himself? Why do we laugh when tickled? questions.
Sasha Epstein
July 3, 2020 09:00
Why are we afraid of tickling?
According to one version, this is a protective mechanism of our body, an unconditioned reflex that we inherited from animals of a lower class. The meaning is simple: tickling is needed to quickly detect and eliminate insects from the most vulnerable areas of the body, and not to mock friends. Scientists also believe that tickling is one of the side reflexes that arose during the development of our central nervous system. This is a peculiar response of the body to touching areas with a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels (feet, stomach, armpits and other most “ticklish” places), a borderline reaction between the main types of contact effects (caress and pain).
Reaction to tickling in adults and children
Why are children afraid of tickling, but most adults are not? With age, there is a gradual decrease in tactile sensitivity. Therefore, older people are less afraid of tickling, despite the fact that in childhood it brought a lot of emotions.
In fact, tickling is not something to be afraid of. You have to learn to enjoy it. Even people who have a low sensitivity threshold, in a relaxed state, can laugh when tickled. What could be better than laughter? It’s not for nothing that they say that laughter prolongs life.
Article rating:
6461
views
Author: Victoria Semernya
Why do we laugh when we're tickled?
The million dollar question. Often the tickling process causes negative emotions and can even be unpleasant and painful. Therefore, at this moment we should not be laughing. Scientists have been able to establish that two areas of the human brain react to tickling at once: one responsible for pleasant sensations, and the second, which is responsible for the reflexive protective function. Some scientists argue that laughter in the case of tickling is a kind of prelude to crying from discomfort or severe pain, and a mass of involuntary, discordant reflected movements at this moment are similar to a reaction from severe pain.
An interesting fact: when laughing (either from a tickle or from a joke), a person does not pronounce either syllables or individual letters. This is due to the fact that at this moment the speech centers in the human brain are suppressed. That’s why it’s so difficult for us to squeeze out a word when we’re laughing.
What is tickling for?
An automatic reflex response to push away the cause of the tickling can protect these sensitive areas. Tickling is a reflexive response. Some people don't like tickling, but it can still trigger the laughter reflex. Just as a person can cry while cutting an onion without feeling sad, laughter does not always indicate pleasure. A group of scientists scanned their brains and then tickled their feet. They found that the area of the brain associated with involuntary responses (the hypothalamus) was active during tickling laughter [1]. This suggests that the response to tickling is involuntary. The authors also noted that the brain may process tickling as a painful experience. This may explain why some people withdraw in response to tickling. Another study found [2] that the brain reacts differently depending on whether the laughter was caused by a tickle or a joke with friends. This supports the idea that tickling is a reflexive response.
A person may respond to tickling more if they know who is tickling them. The response to tickling depends in part on the person's mood. A person does not respond to tickling if he is sad or angry.
At what age do we become ticklish?
Scientists have found that even newborns have sensitivity to tickling, but only closer to six months do they begin to respond to it with a smile or laughter. The fact is that at the very beginning of life, our brain does not associate the sensation of tickling with influences from the surrounding world, and only in the process of socialization do we develop a specific response to such influences. By the way, psychologists believe that playful tickling of a child by parents is a great way to promote emotional bonding.
As life progresses, sensitivity to tickling decreases markedly. This is due to the fact that with age, general tactile sensitivity throughout the body decreases.
Why people are afraid of tickling and how to stop doing it: effective exercises
April 6, 2020
Share: | | OK | TW
You can stop being afraid. It's all about the psyche, you can learn it. I was very ticklish as a child, but over time I was tickled so much that I got used to it and was no longer afraid.
As an adult, no one tickles me often, but I only get tickled when I don't expect it. When I realize that I am being tickled, I immediately block my fear of tickling. The topic of sensitive and insensitive people is a very controversial one.
Indeed, some people do not know how to be afraid of her. I can be ticklish or not, it's all my choice.
The human body, especially susceptible to prolonged tickling, is greatly overexerted in attempts to get rid of the external stimulus, and each subsequent, even very light touch is accompanied by a fit of uncontrollable laughter and leads to muscle spasms and cramps, often accompanied by pain. The muscles of the respiratory system are also exposed to this effect, and this is already extremely dangerous, especially for people with problems with the heart or respiratory system.
Doctors have found that in the process of tickling a person becomes hyperexcitable. Every light touch causes muscle cramps and spasms. There is a slight fear. The longer the tickling lasts, the stronger the fear will be.
After performing the previous two exercises for a long time (at least a week), a person needs to ask someone from his family to tickle him in the most sensitive places: neck, feet, heels, under the knee, in the ribs or abdomen. At this time, it is necessary to make every effort to relax as much as possible, to feel that tickling does not pose anything dangerous and does not cause harm.
Common methods to stop being ticklish.2
I was terribly afraid of tickling until I was 14 years old, after which I met a guy who always loved to torment me, thereby loving to tickle me, and after 3 months of such a regular process, I stopped being afraid of her. For me to laugh from tickling, a lot needs to be done: suddenness, force, place of tickling - all this needs to be taken into account. In general, we can say that the sensation becomes duller each time.
For this very reason, we are not afraid of tickling when we try to tickle ourselves. British scientists confirm the fact that the human brain differentiates expected and unexpected touches, thereby suppressing the reaction to independent tickling. By the way, some people still manage to tickle themselves, but they are diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Tickle phobia is common. Some people experience fear and irritation during the tickling process. Others enjoy tickling.
I used to be afraid of tickling.
It’s just that when I was lying in the bathroom (it feels different in the water), I started tickling myself on my heels, it was ticklish, then I got used to it. And I noticed this thing: when you relax, the sensations dull and it even becomes pleasant.
But when they tickle the ribs, it causes discomfort and then the pain points from the fingers do not go away for some time.
How to tickle a person who is not ticklish?
How to make a popular and interesting blog on the Internet Blogging, for me, is, first of all, a description of some personal experience that seems important and useful to me.
Thinking that it may turn out to be the same for those around me, I strive to share some tricks and best practices.
More specifically, this section is devoted mainly to such questions as: How to make a popular and interesting blog, How to maintain your blog on the Internet, How to make money on your blog by monetizing it School of Bloggers Alexander Borisov: review Today blogging is quite developed in On the Internet, many people start their blogs online, hoping to become famous, earn money, become famous and all that. For me, a blog is a mouthpiece that allows me to speak out and convey my thoughts to a potential audience.
I hope that my opuses will give newcomers to freelancing a correct understanding of where to strive and where to start making money on the Internet. Some articles are advisory in nature, and some are informational. Also, some articles have links to thematic resources. Attention! I am in no way associated with the authors of the resources offered, and the advice to use them is of a recommendatory nature.
Tags: #tickling #scared #tickling #tumanov #svetlana #tickling #blondes
Found an inaccuracy or outdated data? Edit the article!
Dangerous moment
Tickle torture has existed since ancient times. Only the bravest person could withstand it. In total, several dangers can be identified that arise due to its effect on a certain area of the body:
- Slight dizziness appears.
- Uncontrolled urination may occur.
- The sensitivity of some points becomes aggravated, which is why pain then appears.
- Hiccups begin.
- Salivation increases.
- If you act on the same area for a long time, spasms and severe suffocation may occur, and you may even die from tickling.
What can you do to avoid these negative aspects? You need to figure out how to stop being afraid of tickling.
Method one – complete “switching”
The first thing a person who is being “tickled” needs to relax as much as possible. It is recommended to do breathing exercises - take a smooth deep breath and exhale the same way.
During it, you need to try to switch from this situation to any other: think about existing problems, reflect on philosophical topics, mentally imagine any phenomenon, for example, the sun rising, waves splashing or water flowing from a tap.
This cunning method will allow a person to concentrate on his thoughts, this will reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings.
Method two - full concentration
Experienced psychologists know first-hand how to stop being afraid of tickling.
They recommend that during physical impact on a certain part of the body, fully concentrate on the object: feel its warmth, roughness, gravity, friction, the moment of contact.
Or in the gaze of the one who carries out the torture, in the picture that hangs on the wall and on any object. This way, the brain will be distracted from the tickling process, and it will be easier to bear.
Method three - transformation
Most often, a person, in order to mock another person, begins to tickle his heels. They are considered the most sensitive area.
During such a period, a person develops a feeling of mild and incomprehensible fear, which he cannot cope with on his own.
At this moment, you should mentally make a transformation of emotions, for example, transform them into a feeling of aggression. Anger will allow you to overcome yourself and reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings.
Method four – “cinema” exercise
The most effective method to overcome your fear of tickling is to mentally transport yourself to a movie theater. A person should imagine that he is sitting alone in a spacious and beautiful hall. There should be a feeling of calm, comfort and security.
Some famous black and white film is shown on the big screen. It’s worth trying to imagine all the events that are happening in your head, see the faces of the main characters, and understand their feelings.
After just five minutes of such a relaxation session, you will notice that the feeling of fear has completely left you.
Method five - positive phrases
While tickling, you need to talk to yourself. In a calm voice, say pleasant phrases about how good everything is. From the outside it may look a little stupid. This technique will create a special signal for the brain that will stop panic.
Simple rules
In total, we can highlight a few basic rules on how to stop being afraid of tickling.
- You need to constantly train. For example, ask a friend or relative to periodically tickle themselves in a certain area. You can influence it yourself using a soft object. During this process, you need to practice distraction exercises. This method will help you get used to this state and understand which relaxation method will help more.
- You should always perceive tickling as something very pleasant, capable of bringing the most positive emotions. The brain will automatically remember this setting. During exposure to a certain point, it will give appropriate signals.
- Periodically you need to do breathing exercises, it will help you cope with a wide variety of emotions.
There are people who constantly have a panicky fear of tickling. Even in a calm state, they experience severe discomfort. In this case, you need to contact a psychotherapist, he will conduct a course of relaxation therapy that will help you cope with this condition.
Who else besides people feels ticklish?
Our closest relatives - the great apes - also feel tickling, except that their reaction to it is slightly different, but also has similarities with laughter. During observations of chimpanzees in the late 1980s, it was found that primate parents, just like us, playfully tickle their young.
But the biggest tickle fans are lab rats. They are ready to perform special tasks in order to be tickled once again, plus, when tickled, these rodents emit a certain ultrasonic signal with a frequency of 50 kHz. This signal is an analogue of laughter, as it is associated with play behavior in rats.
What happens when a person tickles himself
Aristotle also said that it is impossible to tickle yourself. Later, all his assumptions were confirmed by research. This is impossible due to the way the cerebellum works. The body manages to understand where the tactile influence came from, and the person realizes that there is no visible danger nearby. This is why we are only afraid of being tickled when someone else does it.
It is important to note that in people with disorders of the cerebellum, this reaction does not occur, as a result of which they can tickle themselves and even react to this with laughter. In addition, people suffering from schizophrenia are highly sensitive to their own touch. This happens because it seems to them that another person is controlling the movements of their hands.
Due to the fact that some patients are highly susceptible to tickling, British oncologists have developed a special method of examination using fingers.
So, first, the doctor touches with his fingers the area of the patient’s body that needs to be examined. The patient then places his hand over the doctor's fingers. Next, the doctor places his second hand on the patient’s hand and begins to control the process. At the same time, the patient’s brain believes that another person is not interfering in the examination, which means that there is no danger in touching the body. Therefore, to reduce sensitivity to tickling, you can simply place your hand on top of the toucher's hand.
Strong-willed and psychologically stable individuals can even stop the laughter reaction. To do this, it is enough for them to imagine that they are tickling themselves.
Why can't you tickle yourself?
If you are a mentally healthy person, then the process of self-tickling will end in failure. The thing is that the cerebellum of our brain very accurately determines the position of our limbs, the coordinates of which are immediately reported to the motor zone of the cortex. There, this information is processed by the department responsible for touch, and based on the results, the process of reducing activity is started. There is no need to react, because there is no real threat from your own hand. But as soon as someone else runs their fingers along your ribs, the reaction will be immediate. The mechanism works like a clock, and so far scientists have not been able to fool it.
This does not mean that no one can tickle themselves. Patients with schizophrenia and those who have significant damage to the cerebellum are capable of this. In the first case, a person is able to tickle himself with a symptom of delirium, when the patient thinks that someone else is controlling the actions of his hands; in the second, there is no or impaired coordination of the limbs, that is, the cortex does not receive data about the position of the limbs.
Basic theories
There are several theories. So, according to one of them, tickling is a defensive reaction inherited by humans from lower animals. Having such a reaction, people are able to detect harmful insects on their skin in time and drive them away.
And here the question inevitably arises: why does the person being tickled begin to laugh? After all, danger should evoke fear, not laughter. David Hartley, one of the founders of associationism, suggested that laughter is the beginning of crying. And if, for example, the surprise that makes children laugh becomes stronger, then at the same moment their laughter will turn into tears.
In addition, American scientists have come to the conclusion that tickling has nothing to do with humor, and the reflexive laughter it causes can be compared to the tears that appear, for example, when chopping an onion.
American writer I. Johnson claims that laughter is explained by the relief that occurs after a momentary fright - a person understands that in fact nothing threatens him and allows himself to relax. Moreover, the more people get scared, the longer and more intensely they will laugh.
There are also theories that argue against the idea that tickling is a protective function. One of the assumptions on which such theories are based is that if this were a defensive reaction, then northern peoples should have lost their susceptibility during evolution (due to the lack of insects in cold places of residence).
According to opponents of the version of the protective function, tickling is a kind of side effect in the complex structure of the entire nervous system. This is a reaction to influence, which includes both soft touches and manipulations that can cause pain.
According to another version, this is a built-in mechanism that charges a person with a good mood. The internal resources of the body are excited and begin to work much more actively, as a result of which the blood is replenished with various useful substances. Thus, tickling can strengthen the immune system, energize and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system as a whole.
However, this theory also has opponents: scientists from the University of California believe that the small convulsions that occur in a person when he is tickled have nothing to do with fun and joy. In fact, laughter is not laughter at all, but only sounds similar to it, which indicate that people would like to stop what is being applied to them at the moment.
But why are some people not afraid of tickling, while others try by all means to avoid it?
Why does a person feel ticklish? And why are some people more afraid of tickling and others less?
Hades
Tickling is the creation of a special feeling of irritation in the body by touching the skin or fingering it. One of the hypotheses says that tickling is a reflex reaction of human skin to small animals and insects inherited from distant ancestors. According to another version, tickling is a built-in “good mood generator.” Its task is to stimulate the body’s internal resources (nerve cells, secretions), which begin to work more actively, replenishing the blood with various substances that increase stress and virus resistance. There is another theory suggesting that tickling is a method of communication inherited from monkeys, who thus express sympathy for each other. As a rule, a person does not experience negative sensations when tickled. However, tickling for too long can cause respiratory muscles to spasm due to prolonged laughter. As a result of this spasm, a person can suffocate and die (hence the expression “tickled to death”).
User deleted
Both monkeys and rats are afraid of tickles. But why did this reflex not disappear during evolution? Scientists are still wondering about its meaning - and also why we, when we are ticklish, squeal and laugh. Are you looking for any special methods of torture? Then feel free to attack your chosen object with tickling! Today, as a rule, people tickle each other as a joke - perhaps because the first reaction to tickling is laughter. But this is only one side of the coin. American psychologist Christina Harris photographed people who had just been tickled and found the following: the facial expression of a person being tickled resembles the expression of a person being tortured. In other words, the one who is tickled experiences pain rather than pleasure. At one time, the Romans used tickling as torture. In the Middle Ages, they also resorted to this method: the victim’s bare feet were fixed, and anyone who passed by could tickle them. There were even more perverted methods: for example, salt was sprinkled on the feet, which was then licked off by sheep. Thank God we don’t live in the Middle Ages, but people still know the feeling that comes from tickling. The question is, why? Why didn't this reflex simply disappear during evolution? Scientists have found that even chimpanzees and rats are afraid of tickling, but why this is necessary is still unclear. Charles Darwin once suggested that tickling strengthens social bonds. Christina Harris, who studies the nature of this phenomenon, on the contrary, is convinced that tickling is a reflex designed to protect particularly vulnerable places on our body. Just where the most sensitive places on the body are located, we are especially ticklish: on the stomach and around the waist, where important organs are located, as well as in the armpits and on the feet. Tickling is perceived by the brain as irritation from the outside - and any external influence can be hostile and should be avoided. That's why we intuitively duck when we're tickled. Tickling is different Knismesis - or "light tickling" (Greek) can be caused by touching the skin with a feather or lightly stroking. Do we talk about gargalesis when a person is under real attack? - including the typical squeals and laughter for such cases. And here is another scientific mystery: what is the meaning of this squealing and laughter? There are several hypotheses: psychologist James Leuba considers it a pure reflex. Charles Darwin, author of the theory of evolution, saw this as the origin of his sense of humor. According to another theory, laughter serves as a release: tickling initially frightens a person, but the brain gives up because tickling does not imply danger. But why then can’t we tickle ourselves? This question occupied Aristotle, who came to the following conclusion: everything that comes from ourselves, regardless of whether it is tickling or something else, does not pose a danger to us, and our body simply ignores it. This guess is confirmed by Sarah Blackmore, a researcher from London. Using magnetic resonance imaging, she analyzed the brain activity of people who were tickled by someone else and who tickled themselves. And she came to the conclusion that the cerebellum of those who tickled themselves was less active than those who were tickled. That is, the nervous system is such a complex network that the brain recognizes exactly what sensation to expect when we ourselves touch our skin or make some kind of movement. Of course, in this case there is simply no surprise effect. Experiment with a foot tickling machine Darwin was convinced that it only becomes ticklish when we do not know about it in advance - which cannot be said about those who tickle themselves. He wrote: “From the fact that a child cannot tickle himself, we can conclude that he does not know the exact place where he can be tickled.”
Alena Kutlina Andreeva
Today I was told a terrible story about how one husband tickled three wives to death in turn in order to get all their property from them. Then the children of those wives spied on him and at night he was caught red-handed.
Lyudochka
Scientists have been wondering for many years about the meaning of the fear of tickling, which can be experienced not only by people, but also by monkeys and rats. As the German publication Stern writes, it is still unclear why this reflex did not disappear during evolution. There is an opinion that those who are tickled experience not pleasure at all, but suffering. At one time, the Romans used tickling as torture. In the Middle Ages, they also resorted to this method: the victim’s bare feet were fixed, and anyone who passed by could tickle them. There were even more perverted methods: for example, the feet were sprinkled with salt, which was then licked off by sheep (full text on the website InoPressa.ru). Today, as a rule, people tickle each other as a joke - perhaps because the first reaction to tickling is laughter. But this is only one side of the coin. American psychologist Christina Harris photographed people who had just been tickled and found that the facial expression of the person being tickled resembled that of the person being tortured. Charles Darwin once suggested that tickling strengthens social bonds. Christina Harris, who studies the nature of this phenomenon, on the contrary, is convinced that tickling is a reflex designed to protect particularly vulnerable places on the body. Just where particularly sensitive places on the body are located, a person is especially ticklish: on the stomach and around the waist, where important organs are located, as well as in the armpit and on the feet. Tickling is perceived by the brain as irritation from the outside - and any external influence can be hostile and should be avoided. That's why we intuitively duck when we're tickled. Those who claim that they are not afraid of tickling at all and offer to try tickling them are simply very resilient. Whether they were really able to extinguish the reaction of their body can be checked by tickling them again.
Interesting facts
Anyone interested in tickling will benefit from learning a few interesting facts about it.
- For many couples, this is a way to give each other sexual pleasure.
- Tickling your ears for 10 minutes every day can help prevent heart failure.
- In the Middle Ages in Europe and India, tickling was used as torture. So, people were tied to a bed and touched for a long time with a bird feather, a blade of grass or a straw. There was another method: a person’s feet were dipped in salt water, and after that a goat licked them. A person could enjoy this for a few minutes, but later he began to experience torment from excess emotions and nervous overstrain. People could even die from such torture.
- It's not just people who are afraid of tickling - mice, rats and monkeys also react to it.
- The child begins to laugh because of this from about 6 months.
- It is believed that people with respiratory problems may suffocate and die from being tickled (there are no recorded deaths).
Psychotherapists, in turn, believe that the tickling process is the highest level of interaction between two people. He says that people are very close and interesting to each other.
If a person is afraid of tickling, does this mean that he is amorous?
Tik-tak
Often a child is afraid of tickling...
So is he amorous or jealous?
I think this is just speculation!
Each of us is individual and the fear of tickling in a certain place and at a certain age does not mean anything.
Alekatea
Not at all, this does not speak at all about the emotional component of a person’s character. This only means that he has many sensitive areas on his body, and may indirectly indicate that a person has many erogenous zones, which is why he can get more pleasure from sex. But this is not a fact either.
bolshoyvopros.ru>
Does self-hypnosis play a role?
It is also assumed that suspicious, vulnerable, sensitive individuals prone to self-hypnosis may be especially afraid of tickling. They do not suffer from any diseases, and their skin is not hypersensitive - the fact is that they themselves have programmed themselves to certain reactions.
Often, when a person is tickled, we see the following picture: he squirms, tries to pull away, laughs. You can see this everywhere: on TV, on the pages of books and magazines, in real life. And many people simply pick up and adopt this manner of behavior, without even thinking about how ticklish and funny they really are.
This is another answer to the question of why people are afraid of tickling. The reason for laughter and attempts to evade can be the mere words that such an influence will now begin. Of course, the reaction of laughter in this case will only appear when the person touching evokes positive emotions.
Sometimes, for example, this is how a girl flirts with a guy she likes. In other cases, a suspicious person may become seriously frightened and even panic.
Is it possible to stop feeling afraid?
There are several methods for eliminating the fear of tickling. Let's look at the main ones.
- Having taken a comfortable position, you need to imagine that the process has begun. If unpleasant sensations and trembling occur, you need to switch to any pleasant thoughts. Repeat at least three times.
- The second way is to ask another person (preferably a close one) to put their hand on the most vulnerable part of the body. It could be the neck or foot. When the first cramps appear, you need to try to relax and concentrate on the feeling of heaviness and warmth of the touching hand. This method must be repeated daily until the touches are perceived calmly. After this, you should ask the same person to begin tickling gradually. If the process causes discomfort, you need to stop, but continue to keep your hand on your body.
