Why Do Warm Hugs Make Us Feel So Good? Here’s The Science

For many of us, few things in life feel as comforting as a warm hug. But aside from signaling that we’re loved and cared for, have you ever wondered about the science behind why hugs make us feel good? According to a new study, it’s all wrapped up in how our bodies sense temperature, and how that affects our self-awareness.

The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

We know now that humans actually have way more than five senses, and thermoception – the ability to detect hot and cold – is one that’s been key to our survival throughout our evolution. Most obviously it helps us avoid burns and chilblains, and tells us when we need to put another layer on or find some shade. But sensitivity to temperature is also closely linked with mental and emotional health.

“Temperature is one of our most ancient senses. Warmth is one of the earliest signals of protection – we feel it in the womb, in early caregiving, and whenever someone holds us close,” explained Dr Laura Crucianelli, co-author of a new study and a lecturer in psychology at Queen Mary University of London, in a statement. 

“It keeps us alive, but it also helps us feel like ourselves. By studying how the brain interprets warmth and cold, we can begin to understand how the body shapes the mind.”

That’s why the power of a warm hug can make us feel good at a level that goes way beyond skin-deep, as Crucianelli explained.

“When we hug, the combination of tactile and thermal signals increases our sense of body ownership, so we are more connected to our embodied sense of self. Feeling warm touch on the skin enhances our ability to sense ourselves from the inside and recognise our own existence. We feel, ‘this is my body, and I am grounded in it’.”

Warm touch engages specialized nerve fibers in skin called C-tactile afferents, which are linked via thermosensitive pathways back to the insular cortex of the brain. When these pathways are activated in this way, it triggers the release of oxytocin – commonly known as the “cuddle chemical” or “love hormone”.

This, coupled with reductions in physiological stress, supports enhanced bodily awareness and feelings of wellbeing.

Crucianelli and co-author Professor Gerardo Salvato of the University of Pavia reviewed decades-worth of research papers in psychology, neuroscience, and clinical science to reach their conclusion that thermoception is a historically overlooked pathway by which the body communicates with the brain. 

Changes in bodily awareness are a hallmark of a number of conditions, such as eating disorders and depression, giving this research much wider relevance. 

“For example,” said Salvato, “we now know from experimental studies that thermal signals play a fundamental role in clinical conditions. People with altered temperature regulation and temperature perception, due to a brain stroke, may develop pathological conditions according to which they do not recognize part of their bodies as belonging to themselves.”

And it’s important we gain more awareness of how our bodies respond to temperature in the context of our warming planet.

“As global temperatures rise, understanding how warmth and cold shape the relationship with ourselves may help explain shifts in mood, stress, and bodily awareness in everyday life,” the pair added.

If all this has convinced you to squeeze more life-affirming hugs into your day, you can check out our scientific guide to giving the best ones – and some of our nonhuman friends would appreciate it too.

“Warm touch reminds us that we are connected, valued, and part of a social world,” said Crucianelli. “Humans are wired for social closeness, and hugs briefly dissolve the boundary between ‘self’ and ‘other’.”

The study is published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.