Frisson?

[relm1]

This is a rather strange question.  I realized that some music, I consistently have a euphoric physical response (what I thought were goose bumps without the bumps) at the same spot no matter how many times I hear it.  This happens consistently and after investigating, this seems to be a known thing called "frisson" http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisson.  Do any of you have this where you know you will consistently react physically at the same moment in music?  I wonder what is actually happening and why it happens?  Why does my brain shoot my body with this intense sensation?  I had no idea this was something so specific.


Frisson is a sensation caused by audiovisual stimuli, related to ASMR and cold chill. However, it's a distinct phenomenon and typically expressed as an overwhelming emotional response combined with piloerection while listening to specific passages in music. The response is specific to the individual; stimulus that creates a response in one individual may not create a response in another.

Frisson is of short duration, usually no more than 4-5 seconds, usually pleasurable and has been shown to correlate strongly to loud passages of music and passages that violate some level of musical expectation.

[jochanaan]

Oh yeah, I get the frisson reaction to certain pieces.  I think it's a very individualized response in that it happens in different places in different compositions for every person.  And, contrary to the Wikipedia information, it isn't always at loud spots.

[Linus]

It's interesting how the Wikipedia article mentions a strong correlation to violation of musical expectation and you, relm1, clearly violate that correlation by saying that you get frisson at the same spot no matter how many times you hear it.

I get goosebumps more often from listening to pieces of songs I think are really cheesy in the sense that the music has little depth and I know that it just wants to drag sentimental emotions out of me. So, at least for me, frisson seems connected to pretty simple feelings. Weird.

[relm1]

So I'm not completely nuts?  How strange that hearing something can consistently have a physical response!  What's the cause of this?  It makes no sense to me that listening to a piece of abstract music can produce a flood of euphoria at the same moment of music.  I feel like what I am describing is that when someone uses a certain word, my body consistently will have a physical euphoria.  That is the equivalent.

[Gurn Blanston]

So I'm not completely nuts?

I'm not sure one could make that assertion based on the evidence at hand...

But yes, I get it too, and contrary to expectations, I also get it at spots which are familiar to me, not always the same places, but, for example, at various places in Beethoven's 9th symphony. I have listened to this piece every Sunday since 1995, and yet I still experience this reaction from time to time. It's pretty cool, actually.

[EigenUser]

So I'm not completely nuts?

Of course not! It happens to me quite often. Recently in Messiaen's Turangalila-Symphonie. Especially at the end with the huge orchestral buildup and return of the love theme. Also, it happens at the beginning of Schumann's Concertpiece for Four Horns and Orchestra. These two examples are among many others.