Why can’t you tickle yourself? 🤔

Your brain predicts your own movements through a system called forward modelling. The cerebellum sends signals to anticipate the sensory consequences of your actions. When you try to tickle yourself, the brain cancels out the sensation because it knows exactly when and where the touch will occur.

This video here explained a bit more about this

But why does tickling make us laugh?

Neuroscience shows that laughter during tickling is not the same as laughter from jokes. When someone tickles you, the unexpected touch activates the somatosensory cortex (which processes touch) and the anterior cingulate cortex (linked to emotional response). The hypothalamus, a deep brain region involved in defensive reactions, is also strongly activated.

This mix of touch, surprise, and mild threat creates an automatic laugh response. Scientists believe it evolved for two main reasons: to protect vulnerable areas of the body by making us squirm away, and to strengthen social bonding in safe, playful contexts.