Comprehending Frisson: The Science For Goosebumps Induced by Music and Art

Some experiences are undeniably universal, transcending language, nationality, or cultural context. A prime example of this is the enjoyment found in visual arts, films, and music—a pleasure that, for many, is felt both emotionally and physically.

In French, the term “frisson” means “to shiver” and describes the chills one can experience when encountering a particularly moving and striking artwork. This experience is predominantly linked to music, especially during unexpected moments, like dramatic crescendos. As a physiological yet somewhat transcendent response, frisson intertwines abstract emotions with varying degrees of physical sensations, whether through tingling skin, dilated pupils, or goosebumps. In such instances, the separation between mind and body begins to blur.

“We don’t completely grasp what triggers this response,” psychologist Rebecca Johnson-Osei shared with the BBC in a 2023 video. “A prominent theory suggests that when we listen to music, it stimulates dopamine release in our brain. The notion is that this sudden influx leads to our physiological response—or goosebumps.”

Clinical neuropsychologist Jesse Fischer echoed this perspective: “A sound wave from music activates a range of different receptors. Those signals travel deep into the brain, affecting numerous structures, including the thalamus, which functions like a hub for sensory input.”

Once sound waves reach the cranial nerve and transmit signals to the thalamus, Fischer elaborates, the information is relayed to other brain areas, prompting a physical reaction. Research indicates that individuals who more readily experience musical frisson may exhibit stronger neural connections among the sensory centers responsible for processing both auditory and reward stimuli.

“It is thought that frisson might also be associated with aspects like creativity,” Johnson-Osei noted. “Musicians seem to experience frisson more frequently than non-musicians.”

Nonetheless, frisson has been previously correlated with openness to experience, irrespective of individual creativity, and is suggested to be a “universal emotional experience.” Although a single, conclusive explanation for this phenomenon may be elusive, it highlights the profound connection between emotional and physical reactions to that which moves us.

Meaning “to shiver” in French, “frisson” describes the chills and goosebumps that may arise when engaging with a particularly evocative work of art.

Frisson, also referred to as “aesthetic chills,” has been associated with enhanced connectivity between auditory processing and reward mechanisms, in addition to openness to experiences.