The Science Side of the Tickle Community

(Leona, 25, Ticklee) Ticklees, Ticklers, and Switches! Welcome to my personal tickle library and journal of tickle techniques, tool recommendations, roleplay and teasing writing tips, psychology of tickling, tickle history, tickle session experiences, and much more! Got a question? Want to LERn something new? Ask away! (Profile picture drawn by @ticklishphyllis. ✨)

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Tickly Research Masterlist

Welcome to my little Tickle Research Library! 

Here is a collection of all the posts made thus far. I will be updating it constantly, so feel free to check back for more! 

Send an ask to add to the library! 

Definitions

Knismesis and Gargalesis Series

Knismesis Analysis

Product Reviews

Moonlight Feather Order Summary

Boar’s Bristle Hairbrush

Google Scholar Series

"The Mystery of Ticklish Laughter" by Christine R. Harris (1999)

Answered Asks

For the Ticklee’s:

How can I increase my own ticklishness?

What's the best way to get tickled by someone without asking?

For the Tickler’s:

What are some of your favorite ways to tickle torture ears? What tools have you found work best?

How do I find a Ticklee to tickle?

Tickling in Relationships:

How do I talk about tickling to friends/close people without making it sound like something weird?

What if my long distance partner isn’t a Tickler, but I want them to tease/tickle me more?

What if there was an ability or instrument to measure a person's ticklishness? Would you use it?

Tickle Sessions:

How would you (as a Ticklee) do aftercare following an intense session?

The Mind, the Body, and Tickling:

Would heat be a good way to make feet more sensitive?

Are “outie” bellybuttons more, less or equally as ticklish as “innie” bellybuttons?

“I am struggling to say the word “Tickle” out loud...”

Tickle Health:

What are the emotional benefits of tickling/tickle fights?

Tickle Education:

Do you think there is a link between Asexuality and tickling?

What are some of the best resources available online for the scientific study of tickling?

Tickle Ask Games

feather-dusted’s “Heart Emoji Tickle Asks”

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

✨On Hiatus!✨

I still plan on doing some celebrations for follower milestones as well as answering questions - but I'll be operating on a more relaxed schedule.

Thank you for all the sweet messages checking in on me. I'll get back to posting more frequently when things in my personal life have calmed down

Thank you! 💕

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Let's say, hypothetically, I was a ler in need of a lee

What would be the best way to go about finding one?

The short answer:

Use sites like FetLife, TMF (Tickling Media Forum), r/tickling on Reddit, or here within the tumblr tickling community to talk with others who want to meet up for tickle sessions! There are usually dedicated chats and forums solely for people looking for sessions - and there are a surprising amount of events on FetLife for tickling meetups! There's also NEST, the North East Society for Ticklephiles, a convention held annually.

The long answer:

I do not want to encourage ticklers to befriend and interact with ticklees ONLY because they want to enter a Lee/Ler relationship with them. Not all ticklees are actively looking for ticklers to play with, and not all tickees are comfortable with tickle-talk and teasing.

There are people who are actively looking to play and have tickling sessions. And those people should be best sought out in spaces dedicated to that (event meetups, the NEST tickling convention, tickle session chat rooms, etc.).

But here on tumblr, having a tickle kink or tickle blog does not automatically mean you are looking for tickles IRL. So if you are interacting only because you want tickles, whether you are a tickler or ticklee, then consider forums and chats that are dedicated to that.

Make friends. Get to know people as people beyond the roles of tickler and ticklee. And, with time, if the other person is comfortable and desires it - then you can discuss committing to a Lee/Ler relationship.

Thanks for the ask, nonnie, and best of luck to you! 💕

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Detecting ticklishness would be very similar to determining tactile sensitivity. So while I think there are very few instruments that could measure ticklishness without touch, you can predict if someone is ticklish with very careful observation!

The next time you're trying to figure out someone's ticklishness, ask yourself the following questions:

Does the subject avoid certain textures? (i.e. Won't walk through a field of tall grass in shorts because it "feels weird," etc.)

Is the subject jumpy when given minimal, platonic touch like a hand to the shoulder or a tap on the arm?

Does the subject enjoy showing exposed skin? And if so, do they protect those areas with their body language from being touched (not just from people, but also by things in the environment).

Does the subject enjoy physical affection?

If the answer is yes to these questions, the person you're observing could be ticklish! (And a bigger reaction to other touches could hint at a higher level of ticklishness, of course.) However, not all ticklish people react outwardly, so really there's a lot of mystery in figuring out just how ticklish a person is.

If such an instrument/skill existed, I would personally refrain from using one. I think that the best part of tickling is the surprise and mystery involved! It's so much more fun to discover that someone is ticklish by "accident."

With that being said, I would want to own that kind of instrument... Just to measure my own ticklishness. 😋

What a fun question! Thanks for the asks, nonnies!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Do you think you’ll ever come back to this blog and your just on a break or is it more permanent that your not coming on? I hope your ok and I want you to know this blog and you are appreciated

Hi!

The sudden influx of questions in my inbox has left me very busy with writing. And between many other personal projects, as well as just enjoying being on tumblr to chat with new friends, I've taken a short break from posting. Upkeep of this blog should be fun to avoid seeing tickle research as "work" - so I'm taking things slowly.

However, I am still preparing answers for questions and replying to messages when I can! ✨

Thank you for checking up on me. 💕 Keep sending your questions for future research!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Crossed 400 followers without even realizing it!

✨ Any suggestions for what I should do to celebrate the upcoming 500 Follower milestone? ✨

Send an ask, reblog, or reply with what you want to see! It's a pretty significant milestone, so let's celebrate BIG! 💕

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Hi! Do you think you could make a post explaining how to tickle? Like techniques and motions and stuff? Your blog is wonderful, thank you so much for running it! Have a great day! ☺️

Hello lovely nonnie!

This sounds like the start of a SERIES, since trying to teach how to tickle would be a very, very, VERY long post!

I will start a Tickling Technique series soon to talk about the specific motions and techniques to better assist the Tickler audience!

Thanks for the ask!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

just read all your boar bristle brush stuff and video and I just ordered 2 so they should come in 3-7 days! and I thought about trying them with really really soapy water to double brush each soaped up bare foot in turn and see how he reacts to that— thoughts?

Wow! I'm so happy that my product review inspired you! 💕

Keep in mind that every brush will have different textures! The Boar's Bristle Hairbrush my friend uses for his hair (bought at Walmart) is a LOT stiffer and scratchier than the one I bought (from 7-Eleven) despite them being the same type.

Let me know what you think! 💕 I'm excited to hear your thoughts on its effectiveness.

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Turning a Touch Into a Tickle: Knismesis and Gargalesis Series

Where do we draw the line between ticklishness and sensitivity? At what point does something transform from scratching an itch into a giggle-inducing tickle? And for those who are less ticklish, or aren't ticklish at all, why do side squeezes and skittering fingertips not make them burst into laughter?

Let's define a "tickle" together using one of my favorite scientific terms: Knismesis.

You've most likely seen me use these terms, Knismesis and Gargalesis, throughout my posts. For a quick review of their formal definitions, take a look over here:

Knismesis and Gargalesis Series

Definition of Knismesis: "The light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often ac

Now then, let's focus on Knismesis. What makes this term unique is that, despite it being one of the two subsets of tickling, it is defined formally as non-laughter-inducing.

But don't all tickles induce laughter?

Not quite. We have to split Knismesis in half.

On one side, there are sensations that are tickly. This is where phrases like "I've got a tickle in my my throat" come into play. When you feel a tickle, like a fly landing on your arm, usually you'll flinch and reflexively scratch at the offending area. This is still a tickle, but not the laughing kind.

On the other side of Knismesis is a kind of tickling we're more aware of: Light, feathery, scratchy tickling. For Ticklees who are especially sensitive, not only can this be giggle-inducing - but it can cause heavy, uncontrollable laughter.

So where do we draw the line between a tickly sensation and a true tickle?

The best answer is that it depends on your level of ticklishness!

From a psychology standpoint, your brain could discern even a "true" tickle as a sensation rather than tickling - thus leading to a lower ticklishness. The same logic can be applied for Gargalesis. If your nerves register side squeezes as nothing more than pressure and weight, then it won't tickle!

My theory is that non-ticklish people register tickling in their brain as either the first subset of Knismesis, a tickly sensation but not a laugh-inducing tickle, or maybe as nothing more than pressure and touch.

Ultimately, the line between touch and tickle can only be drawn by the Ticklee!

When utilizing Knismesis, there are ways to trick the brain into registering even the lightest of sensations as a tickle rather than a sensation (see my How to Increase Your Ticklishness post for more info)!

Next up is an in-depth analysis of Gargalesis! Stay tuned!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

oh believe me I am going to become the worlds top tickling and ticklishness expert I actually study so hard at school purely for this ambition and I already know quite a lot as I study everything I can find on it

YESSS! Go for it! 💕 Feel free to reach out to me with any interesting information. It'd be fun to do a tickly collaboration!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Thank you for your post about asexuality! I'm also an ace tickle fanatic, and ever since I started looking at the ticklish side of Tumblr, I noticed a lot of aces. Actually, your whole blog is awesome, I hope you keep getting ideas and making posts for a long time to come!

I've also noticed there's lots of Aces in the Tickling Community! That's part of the reason I always felt at home here. 💕

Most of my posts are answers to questions sent by you guys! So really it's your ideas that I'm excited to hear about. ☺️ So keep sending questions! Thanks for the ask, nonnie!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your recent post about asexuality + tickling because you managed to voice something I’ve been trying to express for years and it’s so nice to finally see it in words/know that my experiences make sense to others too <3

Thank you. 

I’ll admit that it was a question I’ve been nervous to answer - both because I formerly identified as a sex-repulsed Asexual, and because that post involves sexuality on a blog where I hope to welcome and educate people of all ages. 

This is the beginning of a very important conversation we need to have within the Tickling Community. And I hope that my research and information can act as a foundation for positive growth moving forward. 

I’m so, so happy that my writing made you feel acknowledged. That’s all I could ever ask for. Thank YOU, @achilleean, for making me feel like my research is worthwhile.

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

What are some of the best resources available online for the scientific study of tickling? I am thinking of studying psychology or physiology at college as I one day want to specialize in either in depth research or practice of tickling.

Honestly, most of my resources online have been through vigorous searching on Google Scholar and perusing many, many, many medical journals and psychological case studies. 

There is a surprisingly large amount of scientific information on tickling and laughter online! But because studies still are highly subjective and often inconclusive, especially as to why we tickle and are ticklish in the first place, I have yet to find any psychologists who specialize in tickling. 

With that being said, I hope you become the first! I’d love to be able to cite a true “Tickling Expert,” haha! Thanks for the ask, nonnie! 

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

congrats on 200+ !! (no pressure to answer <3)

Thank you so much! 

I’m very close to hitting 300 followers already and couldn’t be happier with how much this research has been appreciated. 

Thank you for your support, @oreos-at-4am!

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Tickling and Asexuality

anonymous asked: “Do you think there is a link between liking tickling and being asexual?” 

IMPORTANT: This post will include mention of sexual intimacy - but only within strictly educational and health perspectives. 

With that being said, I do ask that all comments, replies, and reblogs on this post remain educational in nature.

This is important information for all ages and sexualities. So please, keep that in mind.

Asexuality

For anyone who may be unaware:

Asexual DEFINITION: An Asexual person is defined as “someone who does not experience sexual attraction or an intrinsic desire to have sexual relationships (or the adjective describing a person as such).”

According to the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN). 

In discussing the link between Asexuality and Tickling, I think it is important to first discuss the link between Sexuality and Tickling. This may seem a bit backwards, but give me a chance to explain in full. 

Sexuality and Tickling

Let’s begin with some common facts that, if you’ve been reading up on my blog posts, we know about how tickling affects the body and the mind: 

Tickling triggers the release of endorphins.

Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies.

Tickling relaxes the muscles of your body - both by relieving the muscle tension throughout your body and through physical exhaustion. 

Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.

Being tickled can lead to a drastic increase in adrenaline.

Laughing can burn calories.

Tickling creates a strong positive association (when consented and wanted, of course) with physical intimacy and touch.

The vulnerability of tickling creates trust between Tickler and Ticklee. 

All of these, increased heartrate, tactile stimulation, the release of endorphins, etc. correlate to how our bodies and minds react when partaking in sexual intimacy too. Especially by touching common erogenous zones like the feet, neck, waist, and thighs, tickling and sexual intimacy already have a distinct link to each other - which has been made evident in studies by Freud and other psychologists. 

“To tickle is, above all, to seduce, often by amusement.”

On Kissing, Tickling, And Being Bored: The Psychoanalytic Essays on the Unexamined Life by Adam Phillips

I am not trying to say that tickling is solely erotic in nature.

But there is an undeniable correlation, both anatomically and psychologically, between tickling and sexual intimacy that should be acknowledged. 

IMPORTANT: The similarities in reactions between tickling and sexual intimacy are important for Ticklees of any age and orientation to understand - both to better protect themselves and avoid unwanted sexual interactions. 

There are plenty of situations and contexts where tickling is solely platonic. And I encourage anyone who does want platonic tickling to continue seeking that out. 

But please remember that there are people who take advantage of that innocence and do not convey their ulterior motives. 

This is why minors, especially Ticklee minors, need to stay within SFW spaces to avoid any individuals who want to prey off of this correlation. 

Knowledge is power. And it is my greatest hope that my blog can provide information so that everyone in this community can be well-equipped with research to better advocate for themselves. By understanding how tickling works, how it affects your body, and how it can be perceived by others, Ticklees especially can learn the warning signs for interactions they need to avoid. 

 I will be delving more into my thoughts on grooming within the Tickling Community specifically in a later post. But because of the nature of this question’s research, I thought this was worth mentioning.  

Asexuality and Tickling

Okay, so if there’s such a strong link between tickling and sexual intimacy, why would there be a correlation between Asexuality and tickling? 

From a scientific standpoint, one could reason that Asexuals enjoy tickling because it is the closest physically-intimate act between two people that is not sex. 

Think about other physical actions that can take place non-sexually between two people: Cuddling, hugs, hand-holding, etc. These are also intimate and comforting acts of physical affection. But these still do not necessary equate to the same hormones being released, the same physical exertion, or the adrenaline rush that sexual intercourse provides.

What sets tickling apart, and puts it on such a close level to sexual intimacy, is that tickling is a game of fight-or-flight, submission, and compulsory pleasure. You do not choose to laugh when being tickled. It is intrinsic, uncontrollable, and a direct reaction to tactile stimulation on the body. You “give in”  to tickling despite your body trying to impulsively escape. 

Tickling requires trust, vulnerability, and an awareness of the body in a way that no other form of platonic physical affection can compare. 

So my answer is this: For someone who does not experience sexual attraction or an intrinsic desire to have sexual relationships, tickling can be an intimate act that still establishes the same vulnerability, tactile stimulation, and physical exertion (that are often characteristic to sexual intimacy) in a way that makes them happy. 

For any Aces that are not sex-repulsed, tickling can still act as a catalyst to heighten any kind of intimacy of their choosing. My own scientific conclusion is geared more towards Asexuals who are more sex-repulsed, admittedly. An example of a different Ace perspective is in a quote from a conversation I had with @an0nymz​:

“Someone unplugged the wire in my brain leading from "sex drive" to "sex" and plugged it into the port for "tickling" instead. I can be "sexually" stimulated by things that I would call my kinks, [...] but despite my body going into "I want to have sex" mode my brain for whatever reason developed in a way where it reads that signal as "I want to tickle" instead!”

-Z

Honestly, the answer may be as simple as Asexuals wanting tickles instead of sex.

But just because, for some people, tickling can be used as a replacement for sex, that does not mean that sex and tickling are one and the same. And that does not mean that tickling is only sexual.

Tickling can be holistically platonic. It can be sexual too. It can be platonic with friends while being sexual with partners. Really, tickling can be whatever you make it. I think that Asexuals can use whatever context they’d like for why they enjoy tickling. 

In the end, there will be as many different reasonings for the connection between tickling and Asexuality as there are unique and wonderful Aces. 

While I don’t identify as a sex-repulsed Asexual anymore, my reasoning back then was because tickling was a form of constant, physical intimacy I could have with my friends and partner that didn’t involve sex - while still allowing me to receive that touch, joy, adrenaline, excitement, and emotional connection that I craved so badly. It made me feel like I wasn’t “missing out” just because I didn’t want to have sex. I could still be intimate and be touched by others - just in a way that made me the happiest. 

Thank you for the question, nonnie! And as always, be sure to reblog or reply with your own thoughts. I’d love to hear perspectives on this topic that are more personal-experience-based. 

[tickle-her-senseless]

“Effort is overrated unless you’re trying to make your lee squeal” - Socrates, probably

[ticklee-research-in-progress]

Thank you to everyone that has sent in questions for research! 💕

The next few questions require more personal experience and statistics. They are also longer posts that require more time to be written well. I'm working as fast as I can to ensure every ask earns a thoughtful, educational response! So please be patient if you've sent an ask. I promise I will get to all of them.

With that being said, feel free to keep asking questions to add to my Tickle Research Library!