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Have you ever listened to a song that suddenly made the hair on your arms stand up? Scientists call this reaction “frisson”, and it has fascinated researchers for decades. If you have felt it, you are not alone – in some studies more than two thirds of people report the same experience.
Frisson usually happens when something in the music breaks our expectations. It might be an unexpected key change, a sudden silence, or a powerful voice entering the mix. Our brain notices the surprise and releases dopamine, the same chemical linked to food, love and reward.
Researchers at Harvard and at Wesleyan University have been studying this response for several years. They have found that people who experience frisson tend to have stronger connections between the auditory cortex and the regions that process emotion. In other words, their brains are quite literally wired for music.
If you do not get goosebumps, do not worry. It does not mean that you enjoy music any less than others. Some people feel the same kind of intensity through visual art, sport, or even a well-told story.
Next time a song gives you chills, take a moment to notice what is happening. You are tapping into a small but ancient reward system that has helped humans bond, remember and feel for thousands of years.