If music gives you chills your brain might be special

Does music give you the chills? Have you got a few favourite songs that leave you with goose bumps? There’s scientific name for it: ‘frisson’. And not everybody gets it. If you do, it means your brain works a little differently.

University of Southern California scientists examined the brain scans of 20 students, half of whom had intense reactions to music and half didn’t. Researchers found that those who experienced the ‘chills’ have more neural connections between their auditory cortex, in charge of emotional processing centres, and the prefrontal cortex, involved in ‘higher-order cognition’ such as listening and understanding music.

More fibres and increased efficiency between the two regions means that there is more efficient processing between them. This means if you do get chills from music you are more likely to experience stronger and more intense emotions.

 

Picture Credit : Google