Knismolagnia: Why Some People Get Turned on by Tickling

My first erotic memories? Getting tickled.

At age three, I remember shimmying into a pair of mickey mouse panties post-bath, then running around the upstairs of my parents home dodging hands, squealing, and ultimately succumbing to wills and wants of The Tickle Monster.

And as I got older, as my friends started reporting their splooge-, splendor-, and sex- filled first sexual experiences, I’d retort with complete seriousness, “Dude, I refuse to believe that that feels better than getting your back tickled.”

So last year when I learned the term “knismolagnia,” I had the same moment of recognition I had the first time I ever heard the word “queer”.

What Is Knismolagnia, Exactly?

Knismolagnia is a long complicated word for tickle fetish. Also known as knismophilia or titillagnia, Daniel Saynt, Founder & Chief Conspirator of NSFW, a private members club for sex and cannabis-positive millennials explains:

Knismolagnia can refer to someone who derives (sexual) pleasure in being tickled, watching someone else being tickled, or in being The Tickle Monster (aka tickling someone else).

Among knismophiliacs, the terms “Ler” and “Lee” are also often used to label a tickler or tickle. As are the terms “tickle top” and “tickle bottom”.

It’s generally considered a type of sensation play, and there’s often some overlap between knismolagnia and foot fetishes and armpit worship—due to these two locations being especially ticklish, according to Saynt. “People who are into squirting or piss play may also explore tickling because it's almost impossible to control yourself when you're fully engaged in a tickling session,” he says.

By definition, a fetish is sexual fixation on specific act (or object) that is absolutely necessary for someone to experience sexual gratification. So, it’s very possible that a person with knismolagnia may not be able to experience sexual pleasure without the inclusion of tickling.

However, Saynt says this is rather rare. Some people, myself included, experience knismolagnia more as a preference. Meaning, that they enjoy tickling and love when it is part of a sexual encounter, but it is not a necessary ingredient for climax and pleasure.

How Many Are Into Erotic Tickling?

Considering that research on human sexuality is still pretty limited and the Census doesn’t ask people about their sexual ~proclivities~ (which to be clear, I’m not complaining about), so there’s really no way to know how common knismolagnia—or really any kink or fetish—is.

A quick scroll through Porn Hub’s “tickle fetish” search results reveals that some videos have racked up over half-a-million views, suggesting that there definitely are people (other than me!) who are into tickling.

Saynt adds: “There is a growing portion of the BDSM community that engages in bondage and tickling.” Suggesting that there’s a number of folks who don’t necessarily identify as knismophiliacs.

Where Does Knismolagnia Come From?

Nobody really knows where a fetish comes from. “Fetishes can develop through our experiences growing up, while exploring our sexuality, generally through life, and seeing bodies and sexuality portrayed in TV, movies and other media,” explains Domme Kat, a Denver-based Domme and sadistic little brat who gets what she wants at all costs. Or any combination of those three.

Personally, I’ve been drawn to, fascinated by, and interested in being tickled for as long as I can remember.

Other folks tickling fetish may have been born when tickling was somehow introduced to their Sexy Time. For instance, your partner going down on you while watching a TV show that randomly featured a tickling scene played in the background. Or, a tickling fight with your partner leading to the best sex of your life.

Many sexperts believe it can take for a partner introducing you to an object as sexual, in order to develop a fetish around it. For instance, someone’s dating someone who has a tickling fetish, and through that person learning that they prefer when their sex life involves tickling someone else.

Why Can Tickling Be Arousing?

For me it’s pretty simple: it feels good. Being tickled ignites every single nerve ending on my body. It’s a similar though way more intense sensation, than my favorite sex toy: the Wartenburg Wheel. While I personally can’t, some knimophiliacs can orgasm from the sensation of tickling alone, whether their clothes were removed or not. Fun!

For many folks it’s about the laughter tickling induces, rather than the tickling itself, according to Domme Kat. “Laughing releasing hormones and endorphins that makes us feel good,” she says.

For others it’s about the power play. As in: I am going to tickle you until you can no longer stand it. Or, I am going to tickle you until you pee. “In some ways tickling someone is very similar to holding a Magic Wand against someone’s body and forcing them to orgasm,” Domme Kat says. Orgasm control, anyone?

Because the body's natural response to tickling is to squirm and try to get away—we want to escape that feeling because it makes us uncontrollable— often times tickling is combined with bondage. “Combining tickling with rope and blindfolds can make it a very subby experience for the person getting tickled,” says Domme Kat. That’s why sometimes erotic tickling is called tickle torture.

Why would someone want to explore tickling to the point where it feels torturous? Saynt explains: “The mix of restraint and teasing can greatly increase your release of dopamine, causing your brain to release chemicals similar to its response to threat, our fight or flight reflex." Hello, pleasure hormones!