Music is one of the things in life that really helps to create memories.
Many couples have “their” song, and music can be used to mark all kinds of life events. It’s everywhere, from our cars to our TVs to department stores.
There are some artists we really treasure, however, and sit down with the intent of listening to their music. Whether they love Bach, Lady Gaga, or anyone in between, there are people out there who get chills while listening to certain artists or types of music. But why do some people get goosebumps when they hear a song that moves them? Researchers are uncovering the secrets behind this phenomenon.
Alissa Der Sarkissian and Matthew Sachs, research assistants at USC, decided to study the difference between people who get chills while listening to music and those who don’t.
People who get chills have more fibers in their brains that connect the auditory cortex and the portions of the brain that handle emotional processing.
This means people who have these connections experience music in a more powerful and emotional way.
This is an interesting phenomenon for scientists to study because there doesn’t appear to be any evolutionary benefit to appreciating music more emotionally.
Flickr / LiteWriting aka Loreen72
This gets to the root of some philosophical issues and definitely requires more study. If you’re interested in this topic, the USC Podcast has a whole episode about the research.
(via IFL Science)