Why can't we tickle ourselves? We cannot tickle ourselves
because we anticipate our own actions. Research has shown that
the brain is trained to know what to feel when a person moves or
performs any function. We aren't aware of many of the sensations
generated by our movements. For example, you probably don't pay
much attention to your vocal cords when you speak. For the same
reason, we can't tickle ourselves. If we grab our sides in an
attempt to tickle ourselves, our brain anticipates this contact
from the hands and prepares itself for it. By taking away the
feeling of unease and panic, the body no longer responds the
same way as it would if someone else were to tickle us.