Listening to moving music triggers the same brain pathways as extreme fear, causing goosebumps.

The phenomenon of music-induced goosebumps is scientifically known as frisson. Research led by Dr. Psyche Loui at Wesleyan University and Harvard University has used Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to show that people who experience frisson have a higher volume of neural fibers connecting their auditory cortex to the areas that process emotions. This dense connectivity allows music to communicate more efficiently with the brain's reward and emotional centers.When we hear a particularly moving passage, the brain’s amygdala and ventral striatum are activated. These are the same regions involved in the 'fight or flight' response and the processing of intense pleasure through dopamine release. The sudden emotional peak causes the sympathetic nervous system to trigger piloerection, which is the contraction of the arrector pili muscles at the base of hair follicles. This is the same physiological mechanism humans use when they are cold or terrified.A 2016 study published in the journal 'Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience' found that this reaction is often triggered by unexpected changes in harmony or volume. The brain perceives these sudden shifts as a potential 'violation of expectation,' which briefly mimics a survival threat before the brain realizes the stimulus is aesthetic and safe. This rapid transition from perceived threat to aesthetic appreciation creates the unique sensation of a 'skin orgasm' or chill. Scientists believe this trait may have evolutionary roots in how early humans responded to social calls or environmental alarms.