This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg The Power Of Touch
Dec 12, 2025
Dr. Michael Banissy, a social neuroscientist and author of "When We Touch," dives into the fascinating realm of touch. He reveals how gestures like hugs and handshakes impact our health, immunity, and emotional bonds. Discussing different types of touch, he explains their unique roles and the brain's perception of pleasant sensations. Michael also addresses the vital connection between touch and well-being, explores the risks of touch deprivation, and emphasizes the importance of consent in tactile interactions. Plus, he considers how technology might assist in fostering emotional connections.
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Multiple Kinds Of Touch Serve Different Roles
- Touch comprises multiple distinct systems like discriminative, social, and affective touch that serve different survival and social functions.
- Each type maps to different receptors and brain pathways, so touch effects vary by context and dynamics.
Pleasant Touch Lights Up Reward And Emotion
- Pleasant touch activates somatosensory, posterior insula, and reward circuits in the brain.
- 'Pleasant' varies by individual, so neural responses reflect personal meaning as much as stimulus features.
Hugs Linked To Lower Viral Symptoms
- A Carnegie Mellon study tracked daily hugs for 14 days then exposed participants to a virus during quarantine.
- Those who reported more hugs were less likely to develop symptoms, suggesting touch influences immunity.
