Why do certain sounds give us goose bumps?

March 28
4 mins

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Episode Description

Picture this: you’re lost in thought, your favourite song playing, and suddenly, you feel a wave of well-being that gives you goosebumps. Music doesn’t just touch our hearts; it has a tangible impact on our bodies.

Certain musical passages can send shivers down our spines by releasing dopamine, the so-called pleasure molecule. In 2020, a french study found that listening to music causes variations in low-frequency electrical signals in our brains.

How do we know this? What exactly causes these shivers? What about those goosebumps we get from unpleasant sounds? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

To listen to the last episodes, you can click here:

⁠Is it a good idea to fall asleep to music?⁠

⁠Am I listening to music too loud?⁠

⁠Does sex help us to sleep better?⁠

A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

First Broadcast: 16/5/2025

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