https://shoryak.github.io/curious/ Recent content in Curious Questions on shoryak Hugo en Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://shoryak.github.io/curious/why-do-we-get-goosebumps-from-music/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://shoryak.github.io/curious/why-do-we-get-goosebumps-from-music/ <p>Some chord progressions, a certain voice, or a particular moment in a song creates a physical sensation — chills, shivers, goosebumps. This is called &ldquo;frisson.&rdquo; It happens to about 55–86% of people, and not equally.</p> <p><strong>What I&rsquo;ve read so far:</strong></p> <ul> <li>It seems connected to dopamine release. PET and fMRI studies show activation in the caudate and nucleus accumbens — the same reward pathways triggered by food or money.</li> <li>Musical &ldquo;violations of expectation&rdquo; seem to be key. The chills often come when a chord <em>doesn&rsquo;t</em> resolve the way you expected, or when a new instrument enters unexpectedly.</li> <li>People who are more &ldquo;open to experience&rdquo; (a Big Five personality trait) seem to experience frisson more frequently.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What I&rsquo;m still wondering:</strong></p>