Why can't you tickle yourself?

Answer 1

The human brain anticipates unimportant sensations, such as your own touch, so it can focus on important input like, say, a tarantula crawling up your neck.

The results might explain why it's hard to tickle yourself, scientists said today.

In the study, 30 people used a finger on their right hand to touch a finger on their left hand by tapping a device place directly over the left finger and could instantly relay the tap. The computer-controlled device could introduce delays of varying length before the left finger was tapped. Researchers used another button to introduce externally generated taps.

Based on the test subjects' reports of what they felt, the sensation in the left finger was less during window of time centered on the instant any self-tapping would have occurred naturally.

Bottom line: When their brains expected a tap and the tap came as expected, the brain noticed it less.

Despite the scientific studies, I (and others) did a completely non-official survey and discovered that many of us here in the Yahoo Brain are able to tickle ourselves. I guess some of us have better brain control than others. ;D

Happy Answering,
~Tia~
Live from the big, purple brain
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Answer 2

Much of the explanation for this question is still unknown, but research has shown that the brain is trained to know what to feel when a person moves or performs any function. We aren't aware of a lot of the sensations generated by our movements. For example, you probably don't pay much attention to your vocal cords when you speak. For the same reason, we can't tickle ourselves. If we grab our sides in an attempt to tickle ourselves, our brain anticipates this contact from the hands and prepares itself for it. By taking away the feeling of unease and panic, the body no longer responds the same as it would if someone else were to tickle us.

Brain scientists at the University College London have pinpointed the cerebellum as the part of the brain that prevents us from self-tickling. The cerebellum is the region located at the base of the brain that monitors our movements. It can distinguish expected sensations from unexpected sensations. An expected sensation would be the amount of pressure your fingers apply to your keyboard while typing. An unexpected sensation would be someone sneaking up behind you and tapping you on the shoulder. While the brain discards the sensation of typing, it pays a lot of attention to someone tapping on your shoulder. The difference in reactions from expected to unexpected is a built-in response that probably developed in early human history to detect predators.

Although we are not able to tickle ourselves unassisted, there is a way to trick the brain by using a robot tickler. That's right. With all of the know-how of science and technology, a robot has been designed to allow people to tickle themselves. The same British scientists mentioned above have designed a machine that enables you to tickle yourself by remote control. To use the machine, a person lies on their back with their eyes shut. The robot is located near the person with a piece of soft foam attached to a plastic rod that is controlled by a remote control joystick. When the person activates the rod, the robot will react after a short delay. Even with delays as short as a fifth of a second from the time the person activates the rod until the robot tickled the person's hand, subjects have described the sensation as the same as another person tickling them. So, in a sense, you could tickle yourself with a robotic assistant.

Answer 3

That is a good question. If I try and tickle my feet I don't feel anything, but a different person doing the same thing to me can bring me to the brink of pissing my pants.

Answer 4

Your Brain isn't dumb enough because it's so used to feeling you that it can't get tricked when you try to tickle yourself.

Answer 5

Hi
I just tried it after reading your post and I definatly can tickle myself. I am very ticklish and had never heard that you couldnt tickle yourself before. Thanks for something different for the day.
Mike

Answer 6

I can tickle myself. I'm super deluxe ticklish, I can trick my brain into thinking its someone else. I try to avoid it though or I slap myself across the face.

Answer 7

Most people can't tickle themselves, mostly cause they don't try. There are some uber ticklish people out there, who can. My feet are the most sensitive on me, I tickle them when I wash, but I deal with it. Now our brains are programed to response to touch, and recognizes who does it. Different people have a different touch responce to us, ie, we recognize who touches us. Our own hands explore every place of our body, and therefore, we recognize our own self and most times, cannot tickle ourself do to that brain function that tells us its us.
It goes to say that we cannot scare ourselves, sneeze with our eyes open, or lick our elbow......but as long as there are natural bounderies that say we cannot do something, you can but your tickilish butt that there will be people out there to prove that you can.

Answer 8

cause it's impossible to trick yourself. i mean, you know it's coming when you tickle yourself.

Answer 9

Your used to touching yourself. But not other people

Answer 10

Because you know what's coming and exactly how you will be trying to make yourself feel. Bodies are pretty amazing huh ;)