Why Do Some Music Pieces Elicit Goosebumps?

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Have you experienced such feeling wherein your body shivers when you hear certain types of music? This sensation is a common occurrence to me, so I made some research to understand this phenomenon.

Goosebumps is also called thrill, shiver or chill. Whatever the name, these terms mean the same thing and refer to the occurrence where the hair on your arms and on the back of your neck stands to attention while a wave of nerve travels up the spine, making your torso and head convulse.

Some members in Google Answer provide different answers, so I look for another resource. What I found was truly convincing and enlightening. According to this resource, certain music can activate the dopaminergic reward pathway, an old brain reward system.

Photo credit: superbwallpapers.com

The said system is often linked to motivation and addiction. So you will have the same sensation when you take drugs or have sex. When you listen to your favorite music, this response is activated and you would feel euphoria, the state of being extremely happy.

My own take on this matter is that you would feel goosebumps when a song touches your soul! I often have this feeling when I sing a doxology to glorify the Lord. One type of music that seems to give me goosebumps is symphony, or instrumental pieces.

You can have this feeling when you attend a concert where an orchestra is played in the background. Michael Jackson’s song “Have You Seen My Childhood” has an instrumental part where an orchestra plays so well that I get chills time and again.

Reference: www.nme.com

Here is a music video of the song "Have You Seen My Childhood" by Michael Jackson. Enjoy!

Warning: This article is my original work. Please don't plagiarize.



About the author

Minato

Once you question your own beliefs, it's over.

-- Naruto

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