Power of Touch

"Touch has long been understood to be important in nurturing relationships—so much so that babies raised in orphanages without it often died," writes Lydia Denworth in her article, "The Surprising, Undeniable Power of Touch" (Psychology Today, November 29, 2015).

"Psychologists have proposed a number of explanations of why that should be so, such as attachment theory and increases in oxytocin. Yet those suggestions do not adequately elucidate the immediacy and power of touch, and leave the underlying biology unexamined.

"[A] growing body of research has uncovered another dimension of touch...[A] newly recognized system, known as affective or emotional touch, consists of nerve fibers triggered by exactly the kind of loving caress a mother gives her child. These fibers may help our minds construct and integrate a sense of self and other, informing our awareness of our own bodies and our ability to relate to people around us.

"There’s a sense among those in the field of being in uncharted and thrilling territory. As we come to understand this sense better, we may be able to identify and develop new treatment solutions based on touch—particularly for conditions as diverse as Rett syndrome, autism, neuropathic pain, and spinal cord damage. In a society that so often substitutes virtual communication for personal contact, the findings on affective touch remind us to relish every embrace—and hold it just a few seconds longer."

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