July 11, 2016.
We know it is impossible to tickle yourself. We feel at most a slight tremor, but impossible to burst out laughing. Scientists have studied this phenomenon and found a scientific explanation …
It is the cerebellum that detects that the tickling one is … you
The responsible has been identified: it is the cerebellum. According to a study by the University College of London, the cerebellum is able to anticipate the sensations caused by tickling lavished on yourself. Knowing that you are at the origin of these guilli-guilli, the cerebellum cancels the reflex reactions normally commanded by other parts of the brain, in this case, the cortex! Part of the cortex indeed perceives tickling and, in normal times, another part of the cortex triggers the reaction of pleasure (not for everyone), and bursts of laughter.. But if it is you who tickle yourself, the signal is intercepted by the cerebellum, which cancels the order!
The cerebellum knows where the hand is, and what it is doing
The cerebellum indeed knows where your hand is, and what it is doing at the moment T. If it is dragging on the side of the love handles or the soles of the feet, bim: the order is given not to react … Because there is no surprise! To make sure, researchers used a remote control arm to tickle subjects, which they controlled themselves. Particularity: there was a lag time between the order of movement and obedience! And, surprise, when the arm tickled the subject, but late for the order given, it triggered the normal reaction … All this proves one thing: the reaction to tickling is neither more nor less a defense mechanism! It tells you that a sensitive part of your body is being affected, which is not normal!
