Why can't we tickle ourselves?

Why can't we tickle ourselves?

We can tickle ourselves. We just won't laugh when self-tickling. Our brains are trained to know how to feel when we make any type of movement, and because of that, we don't really feel some of the sensations that we would expect to feel. The brain is prepared for the movements we make. When you try to tickle your toes, your brain will anticipate and prepare for the feeling as your hand moves toward your foot. Scientists hypothesize that the tension and surprise of a tickle must be integral to the experience of being tickled, and equally integral to triggering laughter. How the tension and surprise manifest themselves physiologically to elicit the full response of laughter is not yet known.

We cannot tickle ourselves because our brain is prepared for the upcoming action and movement of tickling, therefor the brain will anticipate the feeling that will come if we try to tickle ourselves.

Thats right Karolina! we cant tickle ourselves. The tension and surprise of being tickled is not there, hence we dont laugh. There is a predictability of the stimulus, seeing as the person him/herself is causing it. There is also an absense of the social context. Also a constant feedback from the movement of the arm.

Random fun fact: The only parts of our own bodies that we can tickle are the tops of our mouths using out tongues

But the tickling stimulus is there- so we can tickle ourselves. It just doesn't cause any response. For sure not laugh. I mean I can perform tickling movement on the soles of my feet, but because of anticipation and knowledge of what my movements will be I won't be laughing. That doesn't mean that I can't tickle myself.