Your Brain Can’t Surprise Itself

You've probably heard that you can't tickle yourself. Try it right away if you haven't heard of it. It's impossible for the majority of us. Even if someone else tickles you and you end up on the floor in a writhing, giggling mess, you just can't seem to pull it off. However, it's not always because your mind is dull.

First off, being ticklish is a form of protection. We react viscerally, twitchily, and squirmily to things like spiders or other strange small organisms crawling over us, which gives rise to the experience. In the same vein, it can be a defense mechanism against aggression. To demonstrate that they were uninterested in fighting, our ancestors may have laughed despite discomfort. However, we are unable to harm ourselves because our brain, in a sense, anticipates our actions.

The secret to tickling is surprise. You never know where a tickler's fingers will land next when they are tickling you. The overall situation is unsettling, and the laughter is typically not really joyous. But the feeling of surprise cannot take hold since your cerebellum already knows where your hands are going to tickle yourself.