Why is it impossible for people to tickle themselves?

Question

Is it something to do with your nervous system or something?

Answer 1

interesting..=) i've thought about it once before.. but i just don't get it too.. i've forgotten about it after a while though.. so thx for asking..^^

Answer 2

This question keeps coming up, and surely there must

be someone else out there who CAN tickle themselves

like me. I can only scratch an itch on my foot for like 2

seconds or I either have to quit or laugh. If I slide my

bare foot bottom along the wood part under my desk

it tickles so I would have to laugh, and I can scratch

my own ribs for only a few seconds 'cause it tickles

really really bad. I'm a weirdo but I can tickle myself.

Answer 3

Lol. Idk.

I can tickle myself though.

There is this one spot on my stomach that if I touch makes me spazz out but if anyone else touches it nothing. Weird. Lol.

Answer 4

Huh... never really thought about it but now when I think about it.

Answer 5

It probably does,but I think it has more to do with the fact that you are EXPECTING the touch if you tickle yourself.

Dear hotfries.. The only way I can tickle myself is by running my tongue along the roof of my mouth. It tickles SOO bad!lol.Wonder if I can tickle a guy that way???     :P

Answer 6

its not impossible

Answer 7

wow ive never really thought about that......interesting question!

well, maybe its a hormonal thing?

Answer 8

i do it when i'm feeling blue

Answer 9

Dear "hotfries"

You are not alone...my feet are so ticklish I can't even hardly put lotion on them.  Luckily, I can trim my nails, but just barely.  

I treated myself to a pedicure about 6 months ago, and nearly kicked the poor lady in the face.

I've tried the "mind over matter" thing, but to no avail....

Answer 10

It's not impossible.  I've done it.

Answer 11

eh, your brain tells you to stop probably when you attempt it. you wouldn't knowingly cause pain to yourself.

Answer 12

Yes, it is.  A very profound question.

Answer 13

It has a lot to do with your nervous system and the fact that your brain "whites out" one or the other of the areas you are feeling when you touch yourself, usually adding priority to areas more dense with receptors...

...such as your hand...

...except for a specific type of receptor called a genital corpuscles that is "wired" differently.  (Which is why you can't tickle but you can m********e).

To experiment with this, make your hand "go to sleep" and then try to tickle yourself.  You may actually be able to tickle yourself because you're brain isn't getting the signal from your hand...

Answer 14

When you touch your stomach, your brain perceives two sensations: something touching your stomach, and your fingers touching something. Your brain normally puts this together and says, "Ah, I am touching my own stomach." When someone else touches you, your brain only perceives that you are being touched. For some reason, probably so that we don't freak our own brains out every time we scratch an itch, the sensory feedback - the two sensations we feel recognized by our brain as one action taken by ourselves (if that makes sense) - doesn't cause the same reaction. You can trick yourself too, in a number of ways. I've had my arm go numb while I was asleep (I was laying on it) and then scare myself awake when it brushed my face or something.

So the short answer is that sensory feedback inhibits the tickle reflex.

Answer 15

It's difficult to take yourself, by 'surprise'...

Answer 16

I'm sure it is just your body going into "alert" mode making the whole body more sensitive. It wants to know as soon as possible if that person touching you will hurt you. The tickle is your body saying "get away, don't trust them."  For the most part, you can trust yourself.

Answer 17

I can tickle myself, but I dont prefer it, just when imbored