This week, scientists at Oxford University released an illustrated “body map” showing where different people prefer to be touched.
Surveying nearly 1,500 people from five countries, researchers from the journal Proceedings of the Royal Academy of Science created a “touchability index” that provides color-coded info on how comfortable men and women are with being touched by assorted people on various parts of the body.
According to the Daily Mail, each person in the study was “given a series of outlines of the human body and asked to color in which parts they would allow someone to touch, front and back,” creating touchability maps for 13 members of their social network, ranging from their partner and parents to acquaintances and strangers.
The results were generally unsurprising with only a few notable exceptions.
As expected, scientists found that the less we know someone, the less comfortable we are being touched by them. Women are generally more comfortable being touched than men. And touching different parts of the body becomes less taboo, the closer the relationship between both parties involved.
That is—unless you’re a man being touched by a female stranger. Then, apparently, no body part is considered forbidden.
“There were some unexpected findings, such as men would rather be touched on their genitals by a casual female acquaintance than by their own mother,” the Telegraph reported. “For women, however, it would be completely taboo to be touched intimately by someone other than their partner or mother.”
“The touch-space map is closely associated with the pleasure caused by touching,” researcher Juulia Suvilehto from Aalto University explained in a statement. “The greater the pleasure caused by touching a specific area of the body, the more selectively we allow others to touch it.”
So, what does this have to do with being high?
Well, anyone who has consumed psychedelics knows that it’s tempting to reach out and touch someone. That is fine, if you’re in a situation where other people are tripping as well, but be warned: If you find yourself dosed by yourself at a bar, touching strangers will not get you far. That’s where this handy new “body map” comes into play.
It’s all clearly labeled. Shake hands with strangers. Hug your partner. And if you’re a lady tripping balls, go ahead and feel up those of a strange man—because apparently, that area is not off-limits.
