Touch Can Be Louder Than Words

Louder Than Words by Rick Chillot.  Psychology Today.  March 11, 2013.

Touch is a sense capable of great nuance and is dependent on the emotional, social, and physical context.  Touch is a language whose meaning is only vaguely understood.  Touch begins before birth inside the womb, continues in childhood where the level of comfort with touch is often established.  In childhood the massage can bring important benefits.  Touch is influenced by the entire cultural context including religion, climate, and clothing styles.  Touch influences bonding and team success, perhaps by lowering stress hormones.  Touch brings mutual benefits, with the person touching received benefits as well as the person touched.  With mutual benefits of touching, it is not surprising that touching plays an important role in relationships, a role that varies according to the stage of that relationship.  In social relationships, touch often conveys dominance or lack of dominance.  In social situations, it is important to consider context and expectations.  Consolation is probably the most appropriate time for touch.