This Is How Tickling Works

While some people are not ticklish at all, some others will literally laugh until they cry when getting tickled. There is a lot we still don’t know about this physical and neurological process, but scientists have been studying tickling since the days of Aristotle. Even back in 350 BC, the Greek philosopher tried to understand why one cannot tickle oneself. Here’s what we do know about this phenomenon.

What Does Tickling Do To Our Brain?

Getty Images / DigitalVision / Hiroshi Watanabe

Before we try to understand why some people are ticklish, we need to understand what tickling does to our brains. When someone touches us unexpectedly, nerve endings in our skin send messages to the cerebellum, the area of the brain that monitors movement and reacts to sensations.