Do you get a thrill out of listening to your favorite music? Here is why according to science your brain is "special"

by Shirley Marie Bradby

May 02, 2019

Do you get a thrill out of listening to your favorite music? Here is why according to science your brain is "special"
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Perhaps, it has happened to someone that they were so carried away by their favorite song that they experienced an emotion that was literally "thrilling".

This is nothing strange because those who manifest these reactions are more sensitive than others. And due to their sensitivity, they are able to perceive and understand music in a more physical and visceral way.

Therefore, listening to a song that we love that produces pleasure is normal. On the other hand, music also serves to excite and invigorate us.

But how many of us, perhaps during a musical solo, a refrain or at the culminating moment of a song, have also felt goosebumps?

via academic.oup.com

publicdomainpictures.net

publicdomainpictures.net

It is all really a question of the brain and nerve fibers, as has been shown by the studies and tests conducted by researchers at Harvard, the University of Southern California, and the Wesleyan University of Connecticut.

From among a sample of students, ten students were selected who were normally inclined to feel chills and goosebumps when listening to music and another ten students who had never had this reaction. 

Through brain scans obtained with specific tools, it was observed that the students who felt chills and goosebumps are endowed with greater neural connections between the auditory cortex, the insular anterior, and the medial prefrontal cortex which are responsible for processing sensations and emotions.

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physicsgirl/Pixabay

physicsgirl/Pixabay

Which simply means that these individuals have a particular "out of the ordinary" brain structure.

The areas of their brain where listening takes place and where emotions are generated communicate better and more strongly. It is for this reason that they are thrilled and feel goosebumps and more emotions when listening to music that is particularly appreciated. 

These studies confirm scientifically that music is an essential element for us, with a positive impact on our well-being and our culture.

The reason? Listening to music, especially for the most sensitive people, allows them to be directly in contact with the emotional centers of their brain which causes strong and unique sensations. 

Source:

https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/11/6/884/2223400

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