Music and "The Chills"

[IndigoSensor]

I came across this article on the news just now. At least for me, this explains a lot. I am also fairly certain it will explain a lot for many people on here as well.

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/...e-you-chills-thats-a-clue-to-your-personality

excerpt:

And a new report in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science says that who gets music-induced chills and who doesn’t might depend on personality. Musical chills, write the authors, from the University of North Carolina, are “sometimes known as aesthetic chills, thrills, shivers, frisson, and even skin orgasms [who knew?] … and involve a seconds-long feeling of goose bumps, tingling, and shivers, usually on the scalp, the back of the neck, and the spine, but occasionally across most of the body.” Some people report lots of skin orgasms and some people say they never get them, but the personality trait “openness to experience” seems like a good predictor. (By "open to experience" the researchers seem to mean those people who enjoy art, good movies, aesthetic stuff.)

The trait they are referring to, is a trait in "The Big Five" personality theory. Which assesses Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Openness, is linked to these "musical chills", and further, openness tends to be most closely related to N in terms of MBTI (conscientiousness to J, extrovertion to E, and agreeableness to F, neuroticism has little corralation). For me this explains why when I listen to certain songs, I can get these very powerful (sometimes overwhelming) waves of feelings on certain parts of music. It has always been illusive for me to explain, but this puts words to it, at least for me. I tend to get the full body feeling from this, not just single areas. I can track the motion of this though.

I am willing to be I am not alone with this here on these forums. The majority of us here are N types, and as that is corralated with openness, I bet many people here have high openness as well. Thus it will be really interesting to see who gets this or not. So, what are your thoughts and feelings on this?

I will add a poll shortly to collect data on this (just for my own curiosity).

 

[Wyote]

lol I almost posted this earlier today.

 

[Kavalan]

I do

 

[894tt3h9]

I definitely get this.

 

[aeon]

I sometimes get that kind of a tingle-flush, but more often I experience an internal feeling of overload, then I quietly gasp, for a couple of seconds be unable to breathe, and I produce tears.

If the experience of beauty/pleasure is strong then my inability to breathe will persist for a few seconds longer, and I will begin to have a bodily shiver/tremor.

:noidea:

I get that with songs I've heard a hundred times before if they have that special something for me. It is almost invariably related to harmonic resolution combined with timbral dynamics expression that suits the mood/feel of the song.


cheers,
Ian

 

[Raccoon Love]

All the time, and very strongly.

 

[Hyuri]

I usually get them when I'm driving at night.

 

[Free Mind]

Yes I do love a good 'skin orgasm'

Normally happens with a song I have a strong connection with, a song I can relate to an experience I have had, or a song that goes well with the current emotions I feel.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdhGINEyDvI"]YouTube - Philip Wesley - "Far and Away"[/ame]

This song always gives me shivers, especially when played loud and your relaxed whilst in deep thought.

Tell me if it induces a good 'skin orgasm' for you. ^_^

 

[Gaze]

All the time, and very strongly.

+1

 

[Jana]

Yes, chills, faster heart beats, something in chest, tears (and I am not crying person)...you name it, I get it...just by music...

 

[Questingpoet]

I get this too! I've never even really talked about it. I get them very strongly on my scalp sometimes to songs I really love. I few other things can trigger it too. But 95% of the time its songs. Wow, I guess I thought this was a fairly normal thing. Skin orgasms is a good way to put it. They can be very strong but don't ever last more then about 8-10 seconds.

 

[Majesty]

Kind of, but not really like you described it.
But I very rarely just sit there and listen to music, I usually do something else while listening to it.
When I do and the music is special, I sometimes like live in the music.
Gosh, I start talking nonsense like a INFJ.
Bad influence bad influence

 

[middle1]

Yes I do get them and love it when it happens.

 

[Odyne]

I do that. Especially with powerful melodies or voices. For example, Christina Aguilera's voice always gives goosebumps. I get the same reaction with other beautiful things, like nature, landscapes, expression of feelings.

I find it to be a great feeling, I can't help but smile when something's so beautiful. =)

 

[Matariki]

Yes, I get the chills all the time listening to epic music.
My back had spazam when I heard Susan Boyle for the first time on Britain's Got Talent.

 

[jyrffw54]

I get them quite often, especially when I'm listening to Celtic Woman.

 

[Jill Hives]

Absolutely, this happens to me as well. Sometimes it moves me enough to make me cry. What is funny is it is the physical sensation of the chill that triggers the emotional response usually. Or at least the emotions come after.

 

[the]

Skin orgasms? What a over-sexualized society we have moved to.

 

[bagelriffic]

yep more frequently with orchestra or instrumental music. like i don't need to have heard a particular orchestral piece to have these sensations, but if its mainstream or something else it's usually only with what i've heard before.

 

[myself]

yes, I love the chills.

orchestral music, choral music,
usually containing more climactic moments...
tension and release

sometimes a very simple sound accompanied by the right visual in a film will do it for me

i suppose it's a process of feeling

it could even be a really well delivered speech,
something universal, communicated so clearly and beautifully

yeah, i think the chills can come when we are deeply moved

music is undoubtedly the most moving language