Exploring the Essential Need for Human Touch
Physical contact and grooming are innate needs of human beings. As social animals, our physical functioning and systems are built around being part of a group and maintaining close contact with others. With growing isolation and individualism, are we losing the benefits of physical closeness with other humans? How does massage come into this?
Humans are a curious species. At some stage in our evolution, we began to ‘civilise’ ourselves, labelling certain behaviours, body parts, and even people as shameful or inferior. There has always been a tendency to deny basic human needs and proclaim that one is “above” them. How often have we heard leaders boast about overcoming their need for sleep to work more, only for them to later face health issues like Alzheimer’s?
There seems to be something in human nature that strives to transcend our natural limitations, as if trying to prove worth or capability by denying basic needs. I wonder if touch and closeness are becoming similar to sleep—traits that some view as weaknesses to overcome. But is there any truth to this notion that touch is absolutely deniable?
Through various scientific studies, we can begin to understand the critical importance of touch.
Skin-to-skin contact, even in the first hour after birth, has been shown to help regulate a newborn’s temperature, heart rate, and breathing, and reduce crying (Ferber, Feldman, & Makhoul, 2008). Touch also increases mothers’ relaxation hormones and aids in the release of oxytocin. A now-famous study on sensory deprivation examined children in understaffed Romanian orphanages (Carlson & Earls, 1997). The touch-deprived children showed significantly higher cortisol levels, peaking in the afternoon and remaining elevated, indicating a disrupted circadian rhythm that drastically affected their behaviour and physical development.
A study conducted with infant monkeys, our evolutionary cousins, also demonstrated the importance of touch. In the experiment, infant monkeys were separated from their mothers and provided with a wire “mother” that dispensed milk and a soft, cloth-covered “mother” without food. The infant monkeys consistently chose the cloth “mother” to snuggle with, suggesting that while food ensures survival, touch sustains (Harlow & Harlow, 1965.)
It’s clear that children require human touch for healthy development. But even this need has been actively discouraged in recent memory. Writing in 1928, John B. Watson, a founder of behaviourist psychology, urged parents to maintain a physical boundary from their children: “Never hug and kiss them, never let them sit on your lap. If you must, kiss them once on the forehead when they say goodnight. Shake hands with them in the morning. Give them a pat on the head if they have made an extraordinarily good job on a difficult task.” Watson believed that excessive touching, or caressing, would create “mawkish” adults. According to him, an untouched child would enter adulthood “bulwarked with stable work and emotional habits that no adversity can quite overwhelm.”
Today, we understand that his approach doesn’t create stable, strong adults but rather traumatized individuals who feel disconnected from themselves.
This mentality of withholding touch to “toughen up” children still has echoes in society, though it’s gradually fading. Now we understand that touch is imperative for children’s well-being. But does this need for touch ever truly go away?
Recent scientific studies underscore the importance of touch for mental and physical health in adults.
Touch has been shown to calm our nervous system and slow down the heartbeat in adults. Human touch also lowers blood pressure and reduces cortisol, our stress hormone.It triggers the release of oxytocin, known for fostering emotional bonding. (Sumioka H, Nakae A, Kanai R, Ishiguro H. 2013 )
Recent studies on touch deprivation in adults have repeatedly shown links between lack of touch and increased anxiety, depression, and stress (Packheiser, J., Hartmann, H., Fredriksen, K. et al. 2024.) And how touch therapies can greatly reduce depression, anxiety as well as physical pain.
Touch has also been shown to boost the immune system in adults. In one study, researchers tracked over 400 adults exposed to the common cold. Participants reported their social interactions, including how many hugs they received each day. When exposed to the virus, 78% of participants were infected, and just over 31% showed symptoms. However, those who experienced more supportive social interactions, particularly through hugging, showed fewer symptoms of illness. When isolating the effects of social support and hugging, touch alone accounted for 32% of the reduction in symptoms. (Cohen, S., Janicki-Deverts, D., Turner, R. B., & Doyle, W. J. 2015.)
The benefits of touch reach every layer of our being, positively affecting physical, emotional, mental, and social health. If something has such widespread benefits, it must be integral to human well-being, and depriving oneself of it is simply not good for you.
So, how can you increase your level of touch?
Research shows that one of the most effective ways to receive therapeutic touch is through massage. Massage therapy has been shown to alleviate depression, increase alertness, and enhance immune function (Lindgren, Jacobsson, & Lamas, 2014). If massage isn’t your preference, consider other spa treatments like manicures or pedicures that involve touch. Pets can also provide similar benefits, as long as you spend time petting them (Young et al., 2020). Although not human, weighted blankets have been found to calm the nervous system in a manner like touch. Ultimately, touch is as vital to us as sleep, food, and water, reminding us that well-being requires more than just physical survival. Make sure to check in with your loved ones with a hug and book yourself in a touch-based treatment for your health and wellbeing.
Book your Mind-Body Recharge Ritual here.
See more information on my massage practice: www.existinghuman.com/holistic-massage
