Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind

We usually think that our senses are found in our heads, and while sight, sound, taste, and smell are localized there, our perception of the world through touch, temperature, pressure, pain, and pleasure are felt through receptors coating the inside of the skin. These messengers communicate their input to the brain which acts as the interpreter. David Linden, a neuroscientist at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine explains how this outer coat construes the external world around us. Different receptors in various parts of the skin convey different messages, and depending how these nerves are aligned, our brains may respond with varying levels of pleasure or pain. Various positions in the sexual act will give greater or lesser delight depending on the location of pleasure neurons. Some genetic conditions enhanced by inbreeding produce pain-free offspring who cannot recognize injury and easily succumb to it. A kind touch can be a supportive gesture, yet too much pressure can appear aggressive. The communication links between the neurons in the skin and the pathways to the brain can be complex and the translations in the brain may be puzzling, these are problems posed by intractable pain and the inscrutable itch that can’t be scratched. These are some of the issues presented by the author is this somewhat technical text.