Did You Know: You Can't Tickle Yourself? 🤔

Ah, tickling, that strange sensation that often makes us laugh, but did you know there's a peculiar aspect to it? It's almost impossible to tickle yourself. 

Wondering why? 

Here are some explanations for this fascinating phenomenon!

👀 Why Can't We Tickle Ourselves? 

When someone else tickles us, it triggers a surprise reaction in our brain. This causes an involuntary defensive reaction to protect us. But when we try to tickle ourselves, our brain anticipates the movement and cancels this reaction. This is called the sensorimotor prediction effect. Hmm... interesting!

👀 The Science Behind the Phenomenon 

This ability to predict the sensations we will feel ourselves is an important function of our brain. It allows us to better control our movements and protect ourselves from potentially unpleasant sensations. Thus, when we try to tickle ourselves, our brain foresees the movement and cancels the sensory response, making the tickling ineffective. And there you have it, we almost know everything!

👀 The Strange Effect of Tickling 

Although we cannot tickle ourselves, it is amusing to note that our brain can sometimes be tricked. For example, if we use an unexpected object to tickle ourselves, like a feather attached to a pole, our brain can be caught off guard and react as if it were being tickled by someone else.

In summary?

So, the next time you feel like tickling someone, remember this curious peculiarity. And if you try to tickle yourself, don't be surprised if it doesn't work! It's simply the fascinating result of the complex functioning of our brain.

On Plume blog, discover more amazing facts about the human body and the science around us!