Neuroscientific studies in recent years show that the human brain’s response to gentle touch is surprisingly strong. It releases important messenger chemicals that boost a sense of psychophysical well-being. Your brain can tell if you’re doing the touching or if someone else is. Touching ourselves, for example stroking an injured part of our body, can ease pain and even alleviate stress. The touch of others can strengthen social bonds and give us a sense of belonging. Crucial for these processes are special nerve cells with a hotline to the brain via the spinal cord neural circuit.
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