Why do our bodies get spine-tingling “chills” or “emotional shivers?” What are they?
In: Biology
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisson
I’ve also seen it theorized that people who experience frisson a lot have a higher capacity for empathy, but afaik this theory is still in early stages.
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If you’re talking about the hairs on the back of your neck rising, that’s essentially your brain getting some signal that there is danger. It tells your body ‘hey something up, let’s hit that fight/flight response just in case’. So your body starts priming to run, or fight. You stop digesting, blood flow increases, and all.
If your talking about shivering after hearing a ghost story (while it not cold) it’s a similar reaction. Sense danger, get spike of adrenaline to prepare for flight/fight.
If your talking about those random, intense, full body shivers that seem to come out of nowhere, it’s a misfire. Electricity zapped the brain wrong and it poured too much sauce. No biggie!
Sorry bud. Old EMT and engineer who passed thermo… it’s a nerve thing:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-micturition_convulsion_syndrome [Wikipedia on PMCS](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-micturition_convulsion_syndrome)
Why does music cause this? The solo in slayers 213 does this same thing?
I think the word frisson is best for this. My dad & grandma called it “a rabbit ran over your grave”.
People frisson for different causes. For me, it’s usually because I sat in a comfy chair and drank some tasty warm or cool beverage.
While we’re at it, what’s up with that weird shiver you sometimes get when you’re peeing?
I believe you’re referring to different responses that all have similar profiles. I don’t have much neurobiology under my belt, but I’ll give it a shot.
“Spine-tingling chills” are a fear response to a percieved threat. The brain releases adrenaline which is required for the fight or flight response. The chilly feeling that often comes with piloerection(hairs on end), I believe has to do with the vasoconstriction caused by the effects of the release of norepinephrine/adrenaline in the brain.
“Emotional shivers” maybe you are referring to musical frisson? Where a piece of music causes a similar “chilly” feeling and possible piloerection. I’m not very familiar with it, but I do experience it(The Wind Cries Mary, amirite?). So from here, it’s more my own conjecture than the science that I’m familiar with. It feels a lot more pleasurable than the “chills” from fear, so maybe that one is in the dopamine pathway?
Explains why dark, creepy tones with unexpected harmonies accompany scary movies. Increases the fear response by incorporating another one of the senses.
Basically, the shivers are the tiny packets of energy that are rushed through your outer shell which through your nervous feedback mechanism are experienced as such. Raising the hair, tingling are some similar manifestation of your psychophysical energy, but in this case the mechanism is accompanied by some reflex action triggers.
What does it mean when you can trigger goosebumps at will?
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