# Tickling and Masturbation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557 "2001-04-27T19:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/1 "2001-04-27T19:40:04Z")
Now that I have your attention… No seriously, as I peruse the internet after listening to Dave’s Rave today, I was driven to find out more about why we can’t tickle ourselves. [This](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/health-science/html98/tick_102098.html) study by Sarah Jayne Blakemore suggests that our brain is able to determine if stimulus is being self applied, therefore shutting itself off to respond to it. If that were the case, why are we able to stimulate our genitals to the point of orgasm, sometimes even moreso that anyone else? jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![heembo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@heembo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heembo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/2 "2001-04-27T22:02:18Z")
Looks gift horse in mouth, then turns away and says… “I don’t know, but I’m sure glad it don’t work the other way around!” Heembo PS - Jarbabyj, I have to admit - I like the way you think! Now if I could only think of an answer to your question… ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/3 "2001-04-27T22:05:38Z")
This is the biggest topic let-down I’ve ever seen. You owe us jarbabyj… you owe us. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/4 "2001-04-27T22:12:05Z")
Hmm. Perhaps the cerebellum is not the part of the brain involved with sexual functioning? Just a WAG. But sex is a much more fundamental physiological function that whatever tickling is, so that may be the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/5 "2001-04-28T01:20:59Z")
I’ve read that our responses to tickling and our responses to situations that cause us to panic. I didn’t think I was going to find a cite for this, and it sure isn’t where I first read it (can’t remember where that was), but [this](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question511.htm) explains it pretty well. Basically, if the tickling is self-inflicted, we don’t panic, and we don’t laugh. I can’t think of anyone who sees orgasms as reason to panic 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/6 "2001-04-28T01:24:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rosebud \* > \*\* I can’t think of anyone who sees orgasms as reason to panic 😉 \*\* You haven’t met my wife :mad: Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/7 "2001-04-28T03:11:41Z")
I would think that masturbation is enabled by your brain because it seems to help you develop your sexuality and get used to the idea of using your genitals for pleasure. Any of this make sense to anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/8 "2001-04-28T03:29:24Z")
My experience with tickling is that the reason you feel ticklish is because you tense up when you know someone it tickling you. I’m usually ticklish, but if I concentrate and relax, it has no effect. From that, it seems that you can’t tickle yourself because you don’t tense up since you know what’s coming. With masturbation, OTOH, you’re not likely to tense up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/9 "2001-04-28T12:43:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > > With masturbation, OTOH, you’re not likely to tense up. 🙂 Unless your mom’s in the house. Thanks for the answers all! It’s clear more research is needed. I’ll get right on it. jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/10 "2001-04-28T14:36:58Z")
Jar - before you leave, I wish to say that I can, in fact, tickle myself. I can’t drive myself into a frenzy, begging myself to please stop, but I can surely find spots that make me squirm and smile. So there’s something physiological involved in addition to the obviously psychological (control) thing. (And, yes, I can also make myself squirm and smile genitally, but I think that’s a different matter.) ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/11 "2001-04-28T14:56:26Z")
“If that were the case, why are we able to stimulate our genitals to the point of orgasm, sometimes even moreso that anyone else?” haha, not for me. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/12 "2001-04-29T00:47:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CC \* > \*\*Jar - before you leave, I wish to say that I can, in fact, tickle myself. I can’t drive myself into a frenzy, begging myself to please stop, but I can surely find spots that make me squirm and smile. \*\* So can I: my toes. I think the sensations of tickling and sexual stimulation are related. I’m conducting a self-experiment on this topic. ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/13 "2001-04-29T03:33:35Z")
I can asure you that I giggle whenever I masturbate and orgasm whenever I tickle myself. I’m the pillsbury doughboy of the sexual world. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/14 "2001-04-29T14:38:36Z")
If you put your finger in your ear & scratch your ear, what feels better, the finger or the ear? The ear of course. ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/15 "2001-04-29T15:04:12Z")
Since handy mentioned the ear thing, here’s a little bit of TMI: I had a mean itch in my ear the other day and was looking for a Q-tip to deal with the problem when I noticed some string I had unraveled while watching TV. I took the tiny threads and used them to tickle my ear, first the outside and then slowly closer to the source of the itch. This is where the twilight zone comes in: I could have sworn I had something incredibly similar to an orgasm, only in my ear. There was a definite shudder, visual distortion and hard to keep the eyes open like during a sneeze, followed by intense relief and immediate sensitivity in the area, just like after masturbation. WTF WAS THAT?? I asked myself, and am still wondering. It was nowhere near as satisfying as the real thing of course, but it was strikingly similar. So, there seems to be a connection between the tickles and masturbation 😉 — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/16 "2001-04-29T15:12:33Z")
I think the nerve passageways are very close in tickling and sexual stimulation. Only a WAG. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/17 "2001-04-29T18:56:52Z")
Google is our friend. Apparently it is possible to tickle yourself…with the aid of a robot… [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/tickling000911.html](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/tickling000911.html) and [here](http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-13672,00.html) where the question about masturbation was also asked 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/18 "2001-04-29T22:59:30Z")
ah, **Morrison’s Lament** , the famed eargasm. Soon you, too, will be addicted to Q-tips. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/19 "2001-04-30T00:56:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > and [here](http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-13672,00.html) where the question about masturbation was also asked 😉 well thank God someone else asked the question…lord knows I don’t want people thinking I’m some sort of perv. jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557/20 "2001-04-30T03:51:35Z")
Info on [Q-tip orgasms (eargasms)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=35703). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tickling-and-masturbation/63557.md?page=2)