Touch is one of our five senses and we experience it in a variety of ways. It lets us distinguish mechanical forces, detect changes in temperature and feel pain.

There are many types of sensations that touch can give you such as warmth, cold, pressure, stinging, or itching. Each one of these different sensations is sent to our brain via a neuron.

Then that neuron sends a message to the next neuron which sends it on to the next until the information gets passed on to the brain. This process of sending and receiving information is called the discriminative touch pathway.

Another type of touch that works with the discriminative touch pathway is called touch pressure which makes you feel how hard someone is squeezing their hand or a heavy blanket. This is also called deep touch pressure.

A good exercise for focusing on your skin is to sit down for 1 to 5 minutes and count all the sensations you can feel on your skin. This could include the wind on your skin, the sun on your skin, the ground under your feet, a fly that landed on your leg, and so much more!

The sense of touch is a crucial aspect of human survival and development. It helps to protect against infections, and it’s also important for bonding with others. This is why a 2015 study found that lack of physical contact can lead to feelings of emptiness and loneliness. It also leads to weaker cognitive functions such as memory and concentration.