Virtual touch and the human social world

• Haptic stimulation of endorphin acts to bond relationships in primates and humans. Humans have found ways trigger the system virtually without touch. Virtual ‘touch’ allows humans ‘groom’ at a distance with more individuals. Touch forms central component social bonding, both humans, via brain’s system. In primates, this involves grooming, acting CT neuron Although still use soft touch for bonding relationships, they had find triggering need physical order be able increase size their groups beyond those characteristic monkeys apes. These behaviors include laughter, singing, dancing, rituals religion, feasting emotional storytelling, act functionally as form ‘virtual touch’. I summarise recent behavioral, neurobiological genetic evidence demonstrating that these enhance through