If you thought it was impossible to die of laughter and that tickling was always harmless, you'd be wrong. ... It may sound like a joke, but tickling is a legitimate torture method that, in the most extreme cases, can even result in death.

What happens if you tickle someone too much?

Several reported tickling as a type of physical abuse they experienced, and based on these reports it was revealed that abusive tickling is capable of provoking extreme physiological reactions in the victim, such as vomiting, incontinence (losing control of bladder), and losing consciousness due to inability to breathe ...

Why is tickling so unbearable?

For many people, tickling is unbearable, so why do they laugh? Scientists found being tickled stimulates your hypothalamus, the area of the brain in charge of your emotional reactions, and your fight or flight and pain responses. ... Older research shows both pain and touch nerve receptors are triggered during tickling.