Frisson And Goosebumps: What Makes Us Shiver With Pleasure

2023 Author: Miles Ford | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 13:10

Modern people are accustomed to the fact that they use a lot of loan words in their speech. This is considered not only "fashionable", but also an indicator of culture, good breeding and good education. Although there are many opponents who are trying with all their might to rid their language of foreign inclusions, in fact, they change little.

The content of the article

• 1 Nervous satisfaction
• 2 What are goosebumps?
• 3 To whom - frisson, and to whom - not
• 4 Unusual catalysts
• 5 Pleasure on call

This popular word frisson is now pronounced by many with languid aspiration. And everything seems to be correct - it sounds beautiful, somehow even seductive, but not everyone knows what it is and where to use this term.

If we talk about etymology, then the word frisson originally appeared in French. It literally translated as "trembling" or "trembling". Then, with the same success, the term migrated to the English language, where it became more popular. In fact, this word is not often heard in simple conversation on the street or in "cafe" conversations. All the same, the mentality of the Russian person affects - it is much easier to express yourself in your own words. But what does frisson really mean?

Nervous gratificationi

Remember those moments when some kind of music captivated and delighted you so much that you felt "goosebumps". A pleasant feeling spread through the body, making me sometimes tremble with pleasure. Each person perceives this phenomenon differently. Some people feel a chill, as if a light and cool wind has blown down their backs.

Others, on the contrary, feel real heat, completely covering the body. It is this contradictory feeling that is called frisson. It is believed that not all people in the world are able to experience it. But in reality, it is more difficult to find a person who does not know what it is.

The very shiver and goosebumps are a consequence of the body's reaction to certain music. At the same time, the depth of sensations, as well as the duration of the effect, can be completely different. And the “trigger melody” itself is different for everyone. Someone loves calm, relaxing music, others are delighted with heavy and energetic tracks, and still others completely fall into nirvana, barely hearing the choral singing.

By the way, the latter very often causes goose bumps. There is something magical about the music, where the choir begins to sing at the climax, which leaves many in awe and excitement.

But frisson is not alive by music alone. In order to achieve the desired effect, you can keep yourself busy with other things. For example, watch an interesting movie. The perception of certain images in combination with musical accompaniment often allows you to feel a wave of pleasant chill. And here, too, everything depends only on personal preference. However, fans of horror films are less prone to "goosebumps". Is that only from horror. And this is understandable - fear is not a litter of exhilarating pleasure.

And frisson can also appear if you are looking at something especially beautiful and mesmerizing. For example, a beautiful landscape or a breathtaking bird's eye view. Some may even get goosebumps from viewing art. It all depends on how receptive the person is. Those who can literally imagine a story or plot associated with a particular subject are much more likely to experience frisson.

What are goosebumps? 2

It’s a strange question, because everybody had “goose bumps” on their hands at least once. This is when the entire surface of the skin turns into hundreds of small bumps. Others call this moment "hair on end." After all, during goosebumps or piloerection (the scientific name for goosebumps), the hairs on the hands really rise. But why does a person experience just such a reaction to frisson? Why do goose bumps appear and why are they needed?

There are two possible explanations here. The first is the mechanism of the body's response to the difference in the states of the skin and the brain. For example, listening to your favorite track, you feel warmth in your body, while your brain is like “frozen”. The contrast may be different, but the essence is the same - all this suggests that you are really immersed in the process of listening to music and get tremendous pleasure from it.

There is another theory, which is more scientific. Many scientists are inclined to believe that goosebumps are a rudimentary ability that remained from very distant ancestors. As you know, our distant ancestors had a much thicker body hair. Goosebumps caused the hair to lift, and some warm air formed in the layer between the hair and the skin. Feeling cold, the ancestors could quickly warm up and reduce their chances of death. It was a kind of personal "climate control", only in the most ancient version.

Subsequently, people began to cover their bodies with clothes, so the need for goose bumps disappeared. But they remained, as if a reminder of who the ancestors were. Well, and also so that in moments of the highest satisfaction with music, to make the whole body tremble with excitement and catharsis.

Freisson for whom and not3

There has been a lot of research on the subject of frisson. Scientists from all over the world have tried to answer the question of why some people are more susceptible to this reflex, while others are less. And a professor from Eastern Washington University was able to give an accurate answer. In his experiment, he connected the subjects to a special device that was able to measure the changes in electrical resistance on the skin, manifested during physiological arousal.

To put it simply, the apparatus recorded bursts of activity of the human body upon collision with certain "stimuli". In order to "catch" the moment of goosebumps, each person played a different musical composition.

The preference was given to classical music and works in which there were peculiar climaxes. The growing rhythm, beautiful choral singing, the lack of clearly distinguishable words in the song - all this was the main condition. When chills appeared, the subjects had to immediately press a special button. After the end of the experiment, Professor Amani El-Alayli (it was he who conducted the research) came to the following conclusions.

First, in all cases, frisson occurred at the peak moments of musical compositions. Then, when the tension reaches its limit, when emotions literally go wild, it was at these moments that a feeling of trembling appeared. This meant that each person associated the musical climax with their own experiences and memories. Some admitted that they recalled touching moments from life. Others simply plunged into fantasies and disconnected from the world for a while.

Secondly, the more a person is supportive of change and novelty, the faster and longer they experience frisson. This point was only understood because the subjects passed the preliminary tests. Such testing made it possible to determine the main character traits that are inherent in this or that person. The experimenters achieved the cherished feeling much faster. Moreover, according to them, they often felt pleasant goosebumps in everyday situations, where there was no particular reason for this.

Unusual catalysts4

Another study from 2010 by Oliver Greve helped to understand how different and varied the causes of creeping can be. For this, the subjects were also connected to the apparatus, only now it was more multifunctional. He read the regularity of breathing, heart rate and other indicators. In addition, scientists asked about the sensations people experience.

Well, after that, the subjects were offered to listen to fragments of melodies, non-musical sounds (like the rustle of crumpled paper or the rustle of leaves), they were allowed to taste different products (lemon, hot pepper, caramel) or inhale a certain aroma. And the results were quite interesting.

Many felt a real delight, trying a spicy-salty dish, or found the crackling of logs in a fire fascinating. Some people just liked to observe the measured and precise work of other people. All this made the subjects literally enjoy the process of the experiment. Scientists have found that even those factors that the body perceives as a threat could cause frisson.

The thing is that the source of this feeling is partly the sympathetic nervous system, and it is precisely it that is responsible for the "safety" of the environment. And this, by the way, becomes an explanation of why people like some music so much - the climax differs from the main sound with louder sounds. This musical "dissonance" is perceived as a threat, causing goosebumps.

Pleasure on call5

It has long been known that frisson is not a super complex magic ritual. You don't have to go to a specialist or read complicated literature to experience it. As mentioned earlier, weird creeps have their reasons, and they are easy enough to reproduce in real life. The most common trigger is music.

Try playing your favorite track and focus on it. Sometimes the tunes on the recording do not evoke such awe. Only live music can help here. Try going to a concert of your favorite band. Plunge into the exciting atmosphere of the unity of fans and the closeness of an idol. Here you will definitely not be left without goose bumps.

Another way mentioned is to eat something unusual. For example, there are many fans of "extreme" cuisine. These are spicy Thai dishes, spicy Indian delicacies, an exciting variety and piquancy of Georgian dishes. It all depends on how much you like certain flavors. The most common trigger for goose bumps is sweet-sour-salty. Sharpness is not to everyone's taste, however, she also has its fans. Even regular lemon can make you shiver if you are susceptible.

The third way is visual. A light TV series with funny jokes and touching moments or an amazing fantasy saga - whatever your heart desires. The most important thing is that what you see finds at least some kind of response. It is not at all necessary for a famous and popular movie to become your goose bumps. By the way, even just looking at measuredly working people is also a pleasure. For example, when laying bricks or changing tires on a car. Everyone has their own quirks.

The fourth way is unusual sounds. There are people who literally tremble at the sound of breaking foam. And there are those who like the simple and cozy sound of rain drops on the glass. Of course, you are unlikely to be able to make it rain. But, if you "go crazy" from the sound of bursting balls on bubble wrap or the banal purring of cats, then it is much easier to bring yourself to the desired state.

The fifth way is tactile. Why are massage treatments so enjoyable? Because they make you just disconnect from the world and have fun. It's also goosebumps. The cherished frisson is achieved very quickly during such sessions. The response to gentle and accurate touches plays an important role here. Indeed, for some, a simple head massager is enough to experience a light and pleasant shiver. Therefore, sign up for the salon and go get your freisson in practice!

Frisson is an interesting phenomenon that many people experience, but not everyone understands its mechanism of action. Increasing pleasure that has nothing to do with erotic arousal is often referred to as cutaneous orgasm. This is not surprising, because any sound, visual, gustatory, tactile and other information can find its response not only in the heart, but also on the skin.

Such moments are especially valuable for their unexpectedness, when you don't expect them. However, you should not turn into a "drug addict" who is chasing only the next and fleeting dose of endorphins, because all good things should always be in moderation.