Goose bumps

Have you ever what is the physiology behind goose bumps?

Scientifically speaking, goose bumps are called cutis anserina. It is an involuntary relflex of muscle contraction caused by adrenaline, where our body hair stands up when we are cold or when we are intimidated. For instance, we often get goose bumps when we feel fear, pleasure, or frightened.

Remember in spooky cartoons where a cat's hair would shoot up at the sight of a ghost? Cats do this when they feel threatened, which triggers the fight or flight response. As their hairs stand up, they appear bigger and more intimidating. This reaction is similar to humans having goose bumps. Humans developed goose bumps when we used to have long hair. This reaction protects us from the coldness, as the hair traps air, it creates warmth and prevents us from losing body heat.

However, what is the scientific explanation behind frisson? Frisson is the chill that we feel when we listen to music. One of the theories that explains this unusual reaction states that it is caused by a sudden change of the volume of the music, or when the music reaches an unexpected section. When this happens, our brain might associate this to potential danger, triggering goose bumps, or frisson. This theory, however, is unable to truly explain the emotional aspect to frisson, as sometimes what we feel might not necessarily be fear, but instead, we might be touched or moved by the music and still have the same reaction. Yet another fascinating thing about the brain which we cannot fully explain. After all, if the complexity of the brain can be so easily deciphered, then how do we expect it to create such greatness?