What is the physiological reason behind the "chills?"

[Dreamfiller]

You know, you're listening to real epic music you like and then you feel the chills going down your spine.

What causes that to happen? And it doesn't only happen in epic music or such, slow piano songs can do that too.

So, dear Escapists, I ask you. What is the cause of these chills that come from listening to some music but not some others?

 

[PotluckBrigand]

http://anti-valentine.hubpages.com/hub/ASMR

Check it out. I just recently learned there's a name for it :X I thought for a long time that everyone got that feeling, then for a longer time I thought it was just me (no one else I talked to had experienced it) but thank you, Internet.

If you didn't read that (you should), the short answer is: No one really knows, but it's just starting to get some attention, so maybe soon.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

http://anti-valentine.hubpages.com/hub/ASMR

Check it out. I just recently learned there's a name for it :X I thought for a long time that everyone got that feeling, then for a longer time I thought it was just me (no one else I talked to had experienced it) but thank you, Internet.

If you didn't read that (you should), the short answer is: No one really knows, but it's just starting to get some attention, so maybe soon.

There's also the Post-Micturation Convulsion Syndrome [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-micturition_convulsion_syndrome], which is thought to be related. The "Piss Shivers". Surprisingly, it's a mainly (if not exclusively) male syndrome (like colour blindndess, haemophilia).

Most thoughts are it's along the same line as shutting your eyes when sneezing (photic sneeze response) or sneezing from nostril hair pulling. But still...no-one knows.

The best bet is that it's part of the parasympathetic nervous system - which works in tandem with the fight/flight response - which may/may not be why it's stronger in men.

What it MAY be - and this is purely hypothetical - is the male's mutated female orgasm - given that we start off as female and mutate.

TL;DR: No-one knows.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I remember making this thread a long time ago, got similar answers. Just a physical reaction to awesome nostalgia or pleasure I guess.

*listens to Pokemon music and shivers*

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

What it MAY be - and this is purely hypothetical - is the male's mutated female orgasm - given that we start off as female and mutate.

Are you telling me to turn some epic music on during intercourse?

You mean you don't anyway?

 

[Whateveralot]

Or you could just read this:

Anatomy Of A Tear Jerker. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213010291701378.html]

I've found this by accident this morning and it should answer your question perfectly fine.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

What it MAY be - and this is purely hypothetical - is the male's mutated female orgasm - given that we start off as female and mutate.

Are you telling me to turn some epic music on during intercourse?

You mean you don't anyway?

Is this the part where I admit I'm a virgin... Damnit.

Touche.

It's not quite as simple as that, as the male sexuality tends to activate the sympathetic nervous system alongside the parasympathetic nervous system, because ...both are needed.

With women, they tend to have the ASMR post-orgasm - which leads me to believe the two are related.

Could be total BS, but it's a workable theory. Can't hurt anyway.

Or you could just read this:

Anatomy Of A Tear Jerker. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203646004577213010291701378.html]

I've found this by accident this morning and it should answer your question perfectly fine.

Interesting theory, but it's a correlation rather than a causation. Some of my triggers don't follow that rule. Mainly because I think Adele is tosh.

 

[xplosive59]

God is an Astronaut, Faunts, Jesu, M83, Devin Townsend, Metal Gear Solid soundtrack, Final Fantasy 6 and 7 soundtrack and the Blade Runner soundtrack all give me chills as well as many more (Land of the Dead by Summoning is another one), I think its when the music is so epic that your body cant hold it all in.

 

[GothmogII]

I remember making this thread a long time ago, got similar answers. Just a physical reaction to awesome nostalgia or pleasure I guess.

*listens to Pokemon music and shivers*

That doesn't really account for the feeling when you're listening to something for the first time though does it?

 

[Smertnik]

I get these "chills" usually when I listen to a song I really, really like (although only from the second time onward) or a song I have a strong emotional connection to, a recent example being the soundtrack of Ico and SotC. And if I listen to the song often enough the feeling eventually disappears.