Why can't you tickle yourself?

Our body has an interesting mechanism that is 'sad' , this is not a sad emotional state but an unconditional reflex of the body when being tickled in some danger.

However, one interesting thing is that only others can tickle and make you sad, but you can't tickle yourself. Although it is only a simple matter like that, scientists have conducted research to find out the answer.

In some respects, this reflex is similar to how you hold your fists and pretend to punch yourself. Your body will not have self-reflexes or avoid attacks because your brain controls the action of the hand and knows that there is no danger. However, if it is another person who does so to you, the body will immediately reflex, catch or close your eyes.

"The question of why we cannot be the main questions that leads us to other interesting questions about consciousness and self-awareness, " said psychology professor George Van Doorn at Monash University in Australia. Researchers not only find solutions to this question, but also want to overcome the limits of our brain and our perception.

Sarah Jayne Blakemore at the University of London is one of the first to study how the brain makes quick but different decisions between one's actions and the impact of others. She conducted a scan of colleagues' brains in two cases of being tickled by others and tickling herself.

The results of brain activity show that, every time we move our legs or arms, the cerebellar region records the signals and then sends a signal that inhibits somatosensory activity on the cortex, where emotional touch be processed. As a result, when we tickle ourselves, feeling sad and writhing will not be as intense as being tickled by others.

From Blakemore's research, many scientists think it is possible to deceive the brain to find a way to indulge yourself. Several experiments have been carried out, including using a long stick with a feathered head to be able to from tickling the soles of the feet, or forcing the person to tickle at will. But all did not bring a positive result.

Van Doorn tried to fool the brain. By letting the test participants wear a glasses, allowing them to see images from the opposite eye in front of them. This will help deceive the brain that they are tickling another person and not tickling themselves. However, the results show that our brains are not fooled.

You can't even tickle yourself in your dreams. Recently, scientist Windt conducted a test similar to the movie Inception . She selected a number of people who had once managed the 'lucid dream' dream , a kind of dream that you know you're dreaming about and can control your actions in that dream. However, as a result, they cannot control themselves to tickle themselves.

Interestingly, people with schizophrenia can self-indignate. Scientists reasoned it may be because of the ability to control the action of limbs in those who have died . So Van Doom said trying to be able to tickle himself could lead to mental problems.