I am not trying to be facetious, but there is good reason that some scholars have written that our evolution from the primates is really a step down the ladder of life.
All primates groom each other.
The process has a noted calming effect on the primates, and the activity takes up a large percentage of their time during their daily activity. Now, I am not saying you or your loved ones have little bugs that need to be removed, but what I am hinting at is that the soothing, sensory feelings that one receives from having one's body touched by another person does seem to have its evolutionary roots. What seems to confirm these feelings is that these senses of well-being seem higher when a close member with whom you have bonded does the massage. Caution, however, should be noted that this information is anecdotal in nature, and should be studied further. Once you have the evolutionary perspective in place, we recommend that you expand your knowledge with the other books that we recommend.