Tickling mentioned in nice positive light in article

[detritus]

in this article about laughter there are some nice positive mentions of tickling

i put the bold tags in to highlight my favourite parts

Research in this area "is just the beginning wave of the future," said comparative ethologist Gordon Burghardt, of the University of Tennessee, who studies the evolution of play. "It will allow us to bridge the gap with other species." "Tickles are the key," Panksepp said. "They open up a previously hidden world."

Like yawning, laughter is contagious; the laugher of others apparently is irresistible.
One of the best ways to stimulate laughter--and it's probably the most ancient way--is by tickling, forms of mutual play that include this kind of playful touch. Tickling is inherently social; we can't tickle ourselves. We tickle to get a response., or to entice a ticklee to turn around and become tickler. Tickling is probably at the root of lots of play and it is inherently reciprocal, a give-and-take proposition. Not to mention that it triggers sexual excitation in adults. But tickling, too, declines dramatically in middle age. People begin a gradual "tactile disengagement," reports Dr. Provine. Tickle, touch, and play, so critically intertwined, all go into retreat, although these behaviors are at the root of our emotional being.

i really love this line

...or to entice a ticklee to turn around and become tickler

tickling someone so they will tickle you back... mmmm... so lovely

 

[milagros317]

I recommend Robert Provine's book. There is a whole chapter on tickling. 😀

 

[detritus]

I recommend Robert Provine's book. There is a whole chapter on tickling. 😀

thanks for the recommendation mate

looks really good

i love reading about tickling in that kind of context.... makes me think of all the experiments that could be going on all over the world right now 🙂

i like this line in one of the reviews

...about the neurological explorations of the under-researched universal behavior of tickling

yes yes! MOAR RESEARCH!

"how was your day at the lab?" "ooh it was tiring, i got researched completely silly"