Summary: This wonderful feeling has to do with personality type
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Dr. Ainsley Hawthorn is an international expert in sensory studies. Her research combines historical, psychological, and physiological perspectives to help us understand the role that the senses play in our social and private lives. In this article, she will explain in detail what a "skin orgasm" feels like and how to get it.
When you hear high-pitched music or heart-wrenching stories, do you feel a tremor of excitement flash through your body?
If you've ever experienced this feeling, you've encountered a phenomenon called frisson. The term comes from the French language and means "aesthetic chill". In English, "frisson" refers to the sensations that arise when a work of art (such as a song, a movie, or a book) deeply moves you and causes your physiological response.
Why some people experience the phenomenon of "skin orgasm" and others does not remains a mystery, but researchers have found that people who can experience this feeling intensely have unique personality and neurological characteristics.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > other names for the "skin orgasm" phenomenon</h1>
You may have heard of the phenomenon of "skin orgasm" also known as "chilling" or "excitement," but most researchers avoid using these terms because chills are closely associated with negative experiences, and excitement is closely related to positive experiences; and "skin orgasms" are a response to experiencing a variety of arts, whether the art expresses happiness or sadness, positive or negative.
"Skin orgasm" is the most ornate name for the phenomenon, and possibly the most accurate. Some describe the experience as a wave of pleasure flowing over the skin, like an orgasm, an unconscious physical response.
In a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, music psychologists Psyche Loui and Luke Harrison write that the term "skin orgasm" helps imply "a pleasurable feeling that is both universal and variable." However, the name is not commonly used in research because its association with sex has the potential to confuse or bias participants in scientific research.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > triggers a "skin orgasm" experience</h1>
In music, the features that most often cause "skin orgasms" are those that surprise us, such as crescendo, unexpected harmonies, sudden vocals, or touching lyrics. These surprising factors, combined with one of the most sublime and heartbreaking songs in musical theater history, are why so many people shudder when they audition for "America's Got Talent." [Translator's note: On April 11, 2009, in the famous talent show "Britain's Got Talent" by the British independent television company, Susan Boyle, who was not surprising and dressed in shabby clothes, shocked the audience with a song "Les Misérables" "I Had a Dream", which truly explained what "people cannot look like". 】
Sensory stimuli other than music can also trigger "skin orgasms," including sounds (such as fingernails scratching across a blackboard), scenes (like pictures of puppies), tastes (like the sour taste of lemon), and touches (like head massage). Even without any real-time stimulation, just imagining past experiences can make people shudder.
In stories, whether it is in a movie or a book, or a story read out loud, those selfless acts, moments of silent gaze, reflection on the meaning of life, expression of unity and separation of hearts and lungs, often let us experience a "skin orgasm".
What does it feel like to <h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > "skin orgasm"? </h1>
Fundamentally, a "skin orgasm" is an emotional or aesthetic response that is so intense that it triggers a physical response. It is a soul-destroying moment that arises as a result of feeling some kind of experience.
The sensation most commonly associated with a "skin orgasm" is a tremor sensation on the surface of the skin, or a spine agitation from beginning to end. Some researchers have also classified other strong physiological reactions that do not involve skin, such as throat choking, tears gushing, muscle tension, or relaxation, to the category of "skin orgasm."
One of the most consistent features of "skin orgasm" is the excellent feeling, and even unpleasant stimuli (such as horror movies or sad songs) can bring excellent feelings. But how can bad things make us feel great? One possible explanation is hedonistic reversal or benign masochism. When you know you're safe, you'll be able to enjoy an experience that's often frightening or frustrating because you're able to reverse the feelings associated with the event.
Take watching horror movies, for example. Your body trembles even more than the character in danger in the movie. However, since you know you're actually just in the movie theater or living room, you can relax, enjoy the pleasure of adrenaline and endorphins, and enjoy the "skin orgasm" that sweeps across your body in response to dangers on the screen. A recent study showed that when people experience a "skin orgasm" in real life, it is generally under environmental conditions in which they feel safe and trusted.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > what happens in the body when the "skin orgasms."</h1>
"Skin orgasm" may be a personal and subjective experience, but that doesn't mean it's not real. Scientists have documented measurable physiological changes for those who are experiencing "skin orgasms," such as increased skin electricity, sometimes a quicker heartbeat or goosebumps.
During the "skin orgasm," activity at the brain's reward center peaks. This area releases dopamine (often referred to as "good-feeling neurochemicals") when stimulated by worldly pleasures such as food, sex, and drugs. It is amazing that human beings are able to derive from art the same enjoyment that we have when we meet our most basic physiological needs, even if art does not give us a clear advantage in survival.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > "skin orgasm" reflects the characteristics of your brain and personality</h1>
One of the most interesting features of "skin orgasm" is that not everyone can feel it. It's unclear what percentage of the population has a "skin orgasm" (the researchers put that number between 55 and 86 percent), and even those who experience it have had different levels of "orgasm."
Studies conducted over the past few years have shown that people who produce intense "skin orgasms" have specific neurological and personality traits. Researchers at Harvard Scanned the brains of 10 subjects who experienced intense "skin orgasms" and compared them to 10 people who had not experienced "skin orgasms" at all. They found that the auditory cortex (the area responsible for processing sound) in the brains of the "skin orgasm" group had a higher amount of connectivity with the brain region responsible for rewards and emotions.
People who can achieve a "skin orgasm" also have a common personality trait: openness to experience. According to music psychologist Mitchell Colver, "People who possess this trait have an unusually active imagination, appreciate beauty and nature, seek new experiences, often reflect deeply on their feelings, and love the diversity of life." ”
Research by Mitchell Colver suggests that "skin orgasms" may have nothing to do with the depth of emotion someone is feeling at the moment, but with the degree to which they are immersed in the artistic experience. He wrote: "Predicting in the mind how the music will unfold, or performing musical imagination (a way of processing music that combines hearing and daydreaming)... These factors have a greater relationship with skin orgasms than emotional factors. ”
The thrill that everyone can derive from art, and the "skin orgasm" is an upgraded version of that pleasure. Mitchell Colver proposes a way for you to develop your ability to experience "skin orgasms": Not just let the music flow by, you can also try to focus on the music. Put on your headphones and close your eyes, and you can feel a pleasant tremor down your spine.
(Note: This article has added or deleted the original text.) ）
Written by Ainsley Hawthorn, Ph.D
Translation: Tang poems
来源：Psychology Today《Have You Ever Had a “Skin Orgasm”?》
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